Milestones in HIV treatment and prevention research Implications for global public health
Four decades after the first official report on AIDS in 1981, there has been much progress in global efforts towards the prevention and treatment of HIV. Advances in biomedical and scientific research have produced successful interventions and improved care for those living with HIV. Yet HIV remains a global public health challenge. In Southern Africa, which accounts for a significant number of people living with HIV, there is evidence that the HIV epidemic compounded the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The long-term consequences on the public health system in this region are unknown. In this webinar, expects share their work on HIV treatment and prevention and the advances towards HIV immunity. Professor Yasuhiro Yasutomi, director of the Laboratory of Immuno regulation and Vaccine Research (NIBIOHN, Japan) presented results on the development of an HIV vaccine. Professor Glenda Gray, CEO, and President of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) speaks about her work in HIV vaccine research and treatment strategies in Southern Africa. Prof Nico Gey van Pittius, Professor in Molecular Biology and Vice Dean: Research and Internationalisation at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, facilitated the discussion. The discussion highlights both the milestones and challenges in science’s response to the HIV epidemic and implications for global public health ahead.
