Warnings against complacency as world Aids conference ends

Most recently have developed a pilot project focused on the “Test and Treat” model, adhering to new international guidelines.

In Durban, South Africa, the International Aids Conference ended last week with the goal of promoting access, equity, and the right to treatment for everyone. The fight against HIV/AIDS fits into Doctors with Africa Cuamm’s long commitment for health for all in the seven African countries where they work.

In the north of Tanzania, in Bugisi, in Shinyanga Region, Doctors with Africa Cuamm has been developing a pilot project for a year seeking to develop the “Test and Treat” model to HIV. In 2016, 1,300 people were already treated and we are working to further develop the treatment program.

For five days 20,000 delegates met in the South African coastal city of Durban to take stock of progress made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, against a background of warnings that recent gains are under threat.

The delegates to the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban came from more than 180 countries around the world. Most were from the worst-affected regions in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Nearly 20 million people in Africa are afflicted with the AIDS virus. South Africa has the highest infection rate in the world with nearly seven million affected.

One of the senior HIV/AIDs research specialists in South Africa, Professor Jerry Coovadia, presented a paper on the state of the disease in that country. Coovadia said South Africa had made enormous progress in curbing the spread of AIDS and providing treatment to affected people.

South Africa has the largest anti-retroviral (ARV) programme in the world with more than three million people on ARV treatment. He said there was no doubt that Africa will continue to make progress.

To really eradicate HIV/AIDS is going to be a long job but it's not impossible, given the advances in medicine, given the advances in what Africa knows about genes and how genes can affect it, given the advances in the best forms of treatment.

Very important, too, is prevention - circumcision, condoms, change in sexual behavior, monogamy and so on. So it is possible for Africa but it is going to take a long time.

Delegates expressed great interest in the announcement made at the conference that promising results from an early safety trial with a potential HIV vaccine had paved the way for a major new study in South Africa. 5,400 volunteers will take part in trials for the experimental vaccine called HVTN 702 due to start in November.

We need to tackle behavioral change, inter-generational sex and all those things that will prevent the spread of the disease. Most important of all is to prevent our young women from becoming infected.

Young women between the ages of 15 and 25 are the worst affected and this is one of the main findings to come out of the conference," he said.