HIV Prevention News Around The Globe

Namibia reaches key milestone in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and hepatitis B

Windhoek – Namibia has become the first country in Africa – and the first high-burden country in the world - to reach a significant milestone on the path towards eliminating vertical mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and viral hepatitis B.

Eastern and Southern Africa is home to more than half the world’s HIV burden and Africa accounts for two thirds of new hepatitis B infections globally. Namibia is home to more than 200 000 people living with HIV and new infections disproportionately impact females.

Progress is possible. Globally, 2.5 million children have avoided vertical transmission of HIV since 2010, 28 000 of whom are in Namibia. HIV testing among pregnant women is almost universally available across the country and access to treatment has led to a 70% reduction of vertical transmission in the last 20 years. In 2022, only 4% of babies born to mothers living with HIV acquired the virus. Almost 80% of infants received a timely birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine, one of the key metrics of success on the path to elimination.

You can read more about the update here

Quick facts about Injectable PrEP

CAB-LA is being rolled out in numerous global regions as part of comprehensive HIV prevention strategies, particularly for access by populations with high HIV incidence offering choice and an alternative to daily pill-based (oral) PrEP.

PrEP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a drug that can be taken by people who don’t have HIV to prevent them from being infected with the virus.

If you don’t have access to PrEP or the drug isn’t right for you, there are still plenty of ways to protect yourself from HIV infection.

● Using condoms (male or female) during sexual intercourse.

● Get tested and know your partners’ statuses.

● Limit your number of sexual partners

● Don’t inject drugs/use sterilised needles

● Encourage a positive partner to commence ART and to be virally suppressed.

UN says 'end to AIDS' possible by 2030

The global body said that despite many challenges, there is a path to end AIDS. Success is only possible, however, if countries demonstrate the political will to invest in prevention and adopt non-discriminatory laws.

"It is possible to end AIDS by 2030," the United Nations said on Thursday.

But the world's deadliest pandemic could only be halted if the leaders grasped the opportunity, it cautioned.

"We have a solution if we follow the leadership of countries that have forged strong political commitments to put people first and invest in evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment programs," the UNAIDS agency said in a report.

Adopting non-discriminatory laws and empowering community networks, among other initiatives, is an effective response to HIV, it added.

You can read more about the news here

HIV Vaccine Development: Breakthrough In First Clinical Trials Show Hope For Treating AIDS

Researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute undergo the first ever breakthrough in developing a broadly neutralising vaccine that may be the hope for AIDS treatment in the near future.

In a major breakthrough with HIV treatment, researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute was successful in creating a broadly neutralising vaccine that will help in future treatment of HIV and AIDS through the simple method of vaccination. The Journal Cell published the research findings of the study and the clinical trials stating that the antibodies introduced by researchers will be capable of neutralising many strains of the HIV virus. During the first clinical trial, 20 HIV-negative individuals were administered with two or three doses of the experimental vaccine. Reports say that after two doses, the triggered a 95% serum response rate and within a few weeks of the doses, the broadly neutralising antibodies were administered. This is an extra step taken by researchers because ideally it would take years to execute the second step following a natural HIV infection.

You can read more about the news here

Advocates Spotlight 

WACI Health's youth leadership and advocacy program recently onboarded a new cohort of mentees. This program aims at creating a cadre of high quality and impact youth advocates. Our current cohort has young people from different African countries who meet online twice a week for mentorship. The program involves regularly bringing in mentors and experts to speak on and share their experiences. Meet Panashe Rusike who is an HIV prevention advocate based in Zimbabwe.

Panashe Rusike is a Zimbabwean national pursuing a degree in Social Work at Africa University. Currently, he is working with the Center for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) as an intern, where he conducts research on the impact of high heat exposure on healthcare workers, pregnant women, and postpartum women, among other studies.

His journey in social work and advocacy began when he volunteered at the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH), an organization that nominated him for a mentorship program. During his time there, he actively participated in various initiatives, such as the Biomedical HIV Prevention Forum (BHPF) and advancing reproductive justice through accelerated litigation for access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). He also engaged in projects related to RMNACH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Adolescent, and Child Health)

OPPORTUNITIES

The Regional Inter-Agency Task Team on Children and AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa (RIATT-ESA) invites abstracts and proposals for presentations at the 2024 Regional Learning and Linking Forum. The forum will be held on 25th-26th June 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa, with both in-person and virtual participation options.

Click here to read the full call for abstracts.

The Women Deliver Emerging Leaders for Change Program is a two-year leadership program that supports passionate young activists with the resources, platforms, connections, and training necessary to amplify and achieve their advocacy goals. Women Deliver, with its strong commitment to both gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), has a strong history of equitable youth engagement and co-leadership.

You can read more and apply here

Upcoming Events

Register here to join a Webinar on Community & Stakeholder Input To Inform The Future Of HIV Research

Date: Thursday, May 30, 2024

Time: 12:00pm EST

Purpose: Every seven years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) engages in a process that will help determine the focus and priorities of its global HIV clinical trials research networks. As part of this “network competition,” the NIH reviews the structure and funding of its HIV clinical research networks. A critical part of this process involves community and stakeholder input to help inform future research priorities.

The Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination (HANC) invites you to join conversations with Dr. Carl Dieffenbach, Director of the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) at the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) about the future of global HIV research.

Vibe with MOSAIC's NextGen Squad: An Introduction to Oral PrEP

MOSAIC’s NextGen Squad is gearing up to host its first youth-led, youth-focused HIV prevention webinar.

Date:June 12 2024

Time: 02:00 PM SAST

If interested, Register here: