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Drugs 'could stop spread of Aids' Drugs 'could stop spread of Aids'
(about 1 hour later)
Anti-retroviral treatments (ARVs) and universal testing could stop the spread of Aids in South Africa within five years, a top scientist says.Anti-retroviral treatments (ARVs) and universal testing could stop the spread of Aids in South Africa within five years, a top scientist says.
Dr Brian Williams says the cost of giving the drugs to all HIV-positive patients would be $2-3bn per year. Dr Brian Williams says the cost of giving the drugs to almost six million HIV-positive patients in the country would be $2-3bn per year.
He said the scale of the problem in South Africa was "enormous" - almost six million people carry the virus and only about 30% getting the treatment. Only about 30% get the life-saving drugs, he said, but early detection and treatment would prevent transmission.
The drugs reduce the amount of virus patients have in their body fluids. This, he said, should be complementary to the search for an Aids vaccine.
Dr Williams called for this approach at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in San Diego. An effective vaccine, he said, was still a long way away.
Dr Williams, a leading figure in the field of HIV research, is based at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (Sacema) in Stellenbosch.Dr Williams, a leading figure in the field of HIV research, is based at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (Sacema) in Stellenbosch.
Success storySuccess story
Worldwide, he said, there are 30 million people infected with HIV and two million people dying each year. Speaking at at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in San Diego, he said 30 million people around the world were infected with HIV - with two million dying each year.
We could break the back of the epidemic Dr Brian Williams, SacemaWe could break the back of the epidemic Dr Brian Williams, Sacema
"The tragedy is that the disease continues unabated. The only real success story is the development of these extremely effective drugs that keep people alive and reduce their viral load by up to 2,000 times. They become close to non-infectious."The tragedy is that the disease continues unabated. The only real success story is the development of these extremely effective drugs that keep people alive and reduce their viral load by up to 2,000 times. They become close to non-infectious.
"We should be looking at using the drugs to reduce transmission." "While the rapid scale-up in the provision of ART in the last five years has exceeded expectations, it has not reduced HIV-transmission and Aids-related TB because it has been given too late in the course of infection."
Dr Williams argued that by the time people started ART, they had infected "most of those that they would have infected anyway".
"We've been using drugs to save lives, but not stop the infection," he said.
"It's time to look beyond that."
He said that if clinical trials started now, all of the HIV positive people in South Africa could be on ARV treatment within five years.He said that if clinical trials started now, all of the HIV positive people in South Africa could be on ARV treatment within five years.
This approach, he stressed, should be complementary to the search for an Aids vaccine. An effective vaccine, he said, was still a long way away. Dr Williams said a few clinical trials were already beginning in the US, Canada and sub-Saharan Africa - and he hoped to have the answer "in one or two years".
Dr Williams commented: "Even with a vaccine, in South Africa we would still have all of these people who are already infected - so what do we do for them?"
Kenneth Mayer, professor of medicine at Brown University in the US state of Rhone Island, agreed that treating patients early with ARVs was a matter of "public health".Kenneth Mayer, professor of medicine at Brown University in the US state of Rhone Island, agreed that treating patients early with ARVs was a matter of "public health".
Dr Williams said a few clinical trials were already beginning in North America and in Africa.
The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is planning a trial in New York and Washington - in districts that have an HIV positive population at a similar level to African epidemics.The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is planning a trial in New York and Washington - in districts that have an HIV positive population at a similar level to African epidemics.
"We need to get answers [from these trials] quickly. That will help us move forward," he stressed. "We need to get answers [from these trials] quickly. That will help us move forward," Dr Williams said.
"We could break the back of the epidemic. If we can do it, I'm confident it will work.""We could break the back of the epidemic. If we can do it, I'm confident it will work."