MRC researcher involved in HIV prevention research shares the importance of ARVs
By Janus Snyders

The Director of the HIV Prevention Research Unit of the Medical Research Council, Professor Gita Ramjee, reiterated the importance of anti-retroviral drug therapy (ART) for people living with HIV/AIDS and shared a breakthrough in HIV research with Heart 104.9FM listeners.

Professor Ramjee was interviewed on the commercial radio station based in Cape Town as part of a media campaign towards an early World AIDS Day commemoration held at Eastville Primary School in Mitchell’s Plain on 5 October 2010. This event formed part of the HIV prevention and education initiatives of the Web and Media Technologies Platform (WMTP) of the South African Medical Research Council.

“Anti-retro viral therapy is important, because it provides a longer life span and in fact, with the treatment that we have now, HIV/AIDS is no more a death sentence but rather a chronic disease,” Prof Ramjee said. She further encouraged people who are eligible, to go onto ARV treatment to gain “a more productive life”.

During the interview Julian Naidoo of Heart 104.9FM asked Prof Ramjee to explain the purpose of microbicides. “Microbicides are products that are currently developed as gels and it was initially thought that these gels will be very useful to prevent HIV infection among women, primarily because women are often unable to negotiate save sex and condom use with their partners”. She added that microbicide gels are now being tested for rectal use to prevent HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM). When applied, the aim of the microbicide gel is to serve as a preventative measure against HIV infection.

Prof Ramjee also shared the results of a microbicide clinical trial that was conducted by the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research In South Africa (CAPRISA). The study among 889 HIV negative women in South Africa showed that the microbicide gel containing the anti-retroviral compound tenofovir was 39-percent effective in preventing HIV infection. “That is a big breakthrough in HIV prevention research,” Prof Ramjee said. To verify the promising results, the VOICE study is currently being conducted among women in South Africa, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe and the first results are expected in 2013.

Article and audio approved by:  Professor Gita Ramjee

Resources:
Listen to the full radio interview
Useful HIV resources, www.afroaidsinfo.org