Spotlight’s top 8 highlights of AIDS 2016
By Marcus Louw – As the dust settles in Durban and the circus moves on, we reflect on a few of the bigger moments of AIDS 2016. Below are some of the highlights we think may turn out to be significant.
Notes on our next NSP
By Marcus Low, Spotlight Editor – At the end of this year South Africa’s big plan to fight HIV and tuberculosis (TB) comes to an end. The National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV, TB and STIs 2012 – 2016 will be replaced by the 2017 – 2021 NSP. It is vital that the new NSP avoids the mistakes of the past and fully incorporates new scientific evidence.
Stigma and shame still shrouds HIV amongst key populations
By Ntsiki Mpulo – Key populations including sex workers, men who have sex with men and injecting drug users are still marginalised and suffer the “internal nightmare of shame and stigma” despite the strides that have been made in the response to the AIDS epidemic. This was the message delivered by Constitutional Court Judge Edwin Cameron when he delivered the Jonathan Mann Lecture at the International AIDS Conference today (Tuesday).
New Emergency, New urgency
By Nomatter Ndebele – Following a 10 000-strong activist march on the first day of the International AIDS conference in Durban, the Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27 hosted a press conference to outline the strategy of the activist groups beyond the conference.
AIDS 2016: Treatment, Prevention & Non-Discrimination is Still Our Human Right
*Speech delivered by Nkhensani Mavasa, Chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), at the opening of the 21st International AIDS Conference on 18 July 2016* [caption id="attachment_4913" align="alignright" width="300"] Nkhensani…
AIDS 2016: Stephen Lewis’ keynote address delivered at #TB2016
Stephen Lewis addresses the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban.
AIDS 2016: Protecting Human Rights and Reducing Stigma
Read the opening speech of the Durban International AIDS Conference by Justice Edwin Cameron
Editor’s note: Welcome to the first edition of Spotlight
Welcome to the first edition of Spotlight. Spotlight is the new identity of the NSP Review. You can follow Spotlight on twitter at @SpotlightNSP, Facebook at Spotlight NSP or sign up for our electronic newsletter at www.SpotlightNSP.co.za.
Editor’s note: Welcome to the first edition of Spotlight
Welcome to the first edition of Spotlight. Spotlight is the new identity of the NSP Review. You can follow Spotlight on twitter at @SpotlightNSP, Facebook at Spotlight NSP or sign up for our electronic newsletter at www.SpotlightNSP.co.za.
Durban: From AIDS 2000 to AIDS 2016
By Professor Salim S. Abdool Karim & Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim – AIDS Conferences are unique in being a cross between a scientific meeting and a community engagement forum. People from all walks of life attend these meetings and they are a far cry from the usual rigid structure in scientific conferences in order to cater for the range of interests.
The era of viral load is here
By Sharonann Lynch – Viral load testing measures the amount of HIV virus (HIV RNA) in a person’s blood. It is the optimal method for identifying antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment failure (defined as an HIV viral load greater than 1000 copies/mL), because it is more sensitive and has a higher positive predictive value than CD4 cell count and other clinical indicators.
South Africa on the front foot and moving forwards
By Professor Linda-Gail Bekker & Professor Robin Wood – The June 2000 UNAIDS global report on AIDS painted a sombre picture: already South Africa had the greatest number of people living with HIV than any other country in the world and life expectancy had fallen rapidly to historical levels.