NDOH circular on Lamivudine
Lamivudine_Stock Availability_040619 (002)
Assessing the Motsoaledi years
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi was South Africa’s Minister of Health from 2009 to 2019. Marcus Low takes a look back at the successes and failures of the Motsoaledi years.
New guides to advocating in AIDS councils
Spotlight has developed two new advocacy guides for members of provincial or district AIDS councils. One focuses on TB prevention and the other on retention in care.
New science: Highlights from CROI2019
Last week the Conference for Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) was held in Seattle, USA. Spotlight did not attend this year’s conference, but fortunately all CROI abstracts and presentations are made available online. Below we have picked some highlights of relevance for South Africa.
In-depth: The problem of stopping or not starting HIV treatment
Many people in South Africa living with HIV never start taking antiretroviral treatment, or start and then stop. Spotlight asked the experts how big a problem this is and what can be done about it.
Is South Africa on track to meet NSP targets?
On World AIDS Day 2018 we assess how South Africa is faring against 10 key targets set in the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on HIV, TB and STIs 2017 – 2022.
Let women decide whether they want to take dolutegravir
An important new antiretroviral medicine will soon become available to people living with HIV in various Sub-Saharan African countries. Unfortunately, many women might be denied access to this new drug due to an inability of regulators and health departments to see potential risks associated with the drug in the proper context.
Letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa: Send a message to world leaders to commit financially to fighting Aids
Dear Honourable President Ramaphosa, Greetings. Thank you for your tireless efforts to try to eradicate corruption and State Capture. We hope that these efforts will soon translate into a strong…
AIDS2018: UNAIDS LEAKS! Will Amsterdam Be UNAIDS’ Last Stand?
According to leaked information about UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe's correspondence with McKinsey and Company, 2018 will mark the beginning of the end of UNAIDS: the embattled leader has hatched…
AIDS2018 Breaking News: Zero HIV transmissions in PARTNER study after gay couples had sex 77,000 times without condoms – an undetectable viral load stops HIV
By Simon Collins, HIV i-Base On Tuesday 24 July, the results from the extension to the PARTNER study were presented by Alison Rodger at a press conference at AIDS 2018,…
AIDS2018: Reduction in price of bedaquiline welcome, but is it enough?
This week the price of bedaquiline in the public sector in South Africa was cut in half. What does this mean for the increased uptake of this critically important TB…
AIDS2018: Delegates walk out on Sidibe
Hundreds of delegates walked out of the opening of the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam last night in protest when UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe took the stage. By Kerry…