SHARES
It was 1981 when the world was left dazed and confused as news of the first AIDS related death came.
What Happened Then?
History now tells us that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, probably made its move to humans from chimpanzees in Central Africa in the early 1900s. Later, its arrival in the United States in the 1980s brought to the public a knowing of a disease that has since killed more than 35 million people worldwide.
Despite intense public attention and panic over AIDS, the fatal stage of the infection has subsided since the earlier days. Additionally, the scientific and medical focus remain, along with efforts to reduce the social stigma of the disease. These efforts translate to an increased life expectancy – one equal that of the general population!
In 2008, a miracle occurred. A bone marrow transplant cured a patient, Timothy Brown of HIV infection. Only one other patient has been considered cured of HIV.
The method of the treatment – a bone marrow transplant following destruction of their immune systems are both costly and dangerous Hence the treatment is not for the typical HIV patients. Both men received the treatment only because they were already dying of lymphoma or leukaemia. The bone marrow transplant was their last glimmer of hope at survival.
As the years passed, we saw two more breakthroughs that ultimately changed the way medical professionals treat the once deadly infection and significantly reduced mortality rates. In 2012, the United States approved pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP. It enables anyone at risk contracting HIV to ward off the virus by taking a daily pill.
This year, a landmark study found men whose HIV infection was completely suppressed by antiretroviral drugs could not infect their partners because the amount of viral load in the body was much too low.
What does this mean for AIDS?
It means the end is near for the AIDS epidemic. The success of this study indicates that if persons with HIV were completely treated there would be no further infections. Consequently, the possibility of eliminating the epidemic in it’s entirety. Additionally, the findings also align with the U=U campaign. The campaign advocates that an undetectable viral load (low virus in blood) can result in making HIV un-transmittable.
Hence, the question now should not be about the HIV status of an individual, rather how might we provide service to patients to optimise their health. It’s not easy for people to get a HIV test, or have access to care. I believe this justifies the importance of us holding space and support for HIV positive individuals. Unfortunately, the fear, stigma and homophobia plus other social forces continue to jeapordise the efficacy of HIV treatment. Much to the detriment of achieving the aims of disease eradication.
by Yashwini Ravindranath
Born & raised in Malaysia, Yashwini earned her M.D. studying in Moscow's Russian National Research Medical University. With an affiliation towards research, all things coffee and the startup ecosystem, she now contributes articles to GetDocSays View all articles by Yashwini Ravindranath.
