#HIV

Earlier this month, a study published in The Lancet discussed findings that hormonal contraceptives doubled the risk of HIV infection and transmission.  The study examined 3,790 sero-discordant heterosexual couples (meaning that one of the two has HIV) in seven African countries.  Some of the women were using hormonal contraceptives, mostly injectable (such as Depo-Provera) but […]

    Today, I’d like to share articles published this week that explore developments and discoveries in global health.  Drug-resistant strains of bacteria are on the rise, and there is a need for conservation of antibiotics.  Genetically-modified mosquitoes are the latest attempt to curb malaria.  Scientists have used modified HIV-1 to kill leukemia (really).  Medical […]

The central theme of the International AIDS Conference was supposed to be the war on drugs. As I highlighted in my last post, criminalization has been proven to fuel the epidemic, while engaging directly with people with a higher risk for HIV significantly decreases transmission and death. The conference was in Vienna expressly to “bridge” […]

South Africans, Africans across the continent and diaspora, and Africa-lovers are rightfully proud of the first World Cup on African soil. With billions invested in infrastructure and a drastic increase in international airtime, South Africa is presenting a refurbished image as it affirms its presence on the world stage.    However, strikes this week have […]

Last week, on April 15, South Africa launched the largest HIV testing campaign in the world, aiming to have 15 million South Africans tested by June 2011.  This initiative is evidence that the recent budgetary increase of over $1 billion in funds available for HIV prevention and treatment are having an impact on the ground, and it […]

As the inaugural post to ‘Global Health’, I thought I’d start with a bit of philosophy.  A colleague of mine, with a career in the public sector, who at the time was pursuing his MBA, once remarked to me: “I’ve been pursuing equality my entire career; I decided now it was time to take a closer look at efficiency.”  As someone with a business […]

Thailand – A Thai HIV Vaccine trial, led by Dr. Supachai Rerks-Ngarm of the Department of Disease Control of the Thai Ministry’s Public Health Department, was successful in that it provided coverage to a small percentage of participants, which is better than any previous trial. A combination vaccine, using strains of HIV common in Thailand, […]