Archive for January 19th, 2014

New HIV report finds big drop in new HIV infections in South Africa

19 January, 2014

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

New data show that new HIV infections have been reduced by about a third from 2004 and 2012. The South Africa 2012 HIV Estimates and Projections at-a-glance report was launched in Durban, South Africa on 10 January by the Deputy President of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe and UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. Additionally, the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Senzo Mchunu launched the Operation Sukuma Sakhe Best Practices Publication at the same event.

There are 6.1 million people living with HIV in South Africa. Since 2009, the government has massively scaled up HIV prevention and treatment programmes. According to the National Department of Health, in 2012, some 2.2 million people were accessing HIV treatment, making it the largest HIV treatment programme in the world. The data show that the number of new HIV infections has dropped from 540 000 new infections in 2004 to 370 000 in 2012.

Ed Rybicki‘s insight:

At last!  We may have passed the peak of the HIV pandemic – at least in SA – at last!!

It’s been a hard road: denialism, activism, the biggest roll-out of ARVs in the world, socially engineering a whole population to change their behaviour – and maybe it’s finally working!

South Africa needs a "viva!"!!

But we’ve still got 6 million-odd people infected with HIV – and they will be around for a while.  Time for therapeutic vaccines!!

See on www.unaids.org

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SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL GIRLS TO BE IMMUNISED AGAINST HPV

19 January, 2014

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

PRETORIA, Jan 19 (NNN-SANEWS) — Primary school girls in South Africa will from this year be immunised against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer.

Announcing its launch at Ngidini Primary School in Libode in the Eastern Cape, President Jacob Zuma said government will target girls aged between nine and 12 years of age, through the Integrated School Health Programme.

“The Departments of Basic Education and Health will work closely together in this national programme to protect our girls from this disease.

“Vaccination teams from the Department of Health will visit schools twice a year to ensure that each girl-child receives two doses of the HPV vaccine. We urge parents to cooperate with us and help us succeed in fighting cervical cancer,” said President Zuma.

Cervical cancer graphic by Russell Kightley Media

Ed Rybicki‘s insight:

At last!  South Africa will finally make HPV vaccines available for free to schoolgirls between 9-12 – in preparation for their eventual exposure, via sex, to the viruses that cause cervical cancer.

HPV vaccines are blockbusters for a reason: they are one of only two viral vaccines that will almost certainly prevent cancer developing in a proportion of those who get infected with the viruses in question – which are, of course, HPV and hepatitis B.

And given that most humans have sex, a pretty high percentage of sexually active humans will be exposed to HPV and – to a lesser extent – HBV.

Sex is a normal activity.  Vaccinating against sexually transmitted diseases is therefore a sensible thing to do.  Vaccinating against HPV in a country where over 12% of the population have HIV, is even more sensible – because HIV worsens the effects of HPV.

Vaccination: the sensible thing to do.

See on www.namnewsnetwork.org

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