Journal of the International AIDS Society Blog
A fond farewell to Edith Gruslin and a warm welcome to Mirjam Eckert
As March comes to an end, we reluctantly say goodbye to Edith Gruslin, the Monitoring Editor for the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS). Edith has been key to the success of the journal, and under her tenure, the journal has grown both in readership and publication rate. On behalf of the JIAS editorial team, we thank Edith for her leadership, dedication and hard work during her time with the JIAS. She will be greatly missed. We wish her all the best and continued success in her future endeavors. At this time, we would like to give a warm welcome to Dr. Mirjam Eckert who has joined the editorial team of the JIAS as the new Monitoring Editor as Edith’s replacement. Mirjam has an excellent academic background and has published a number of scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. With training in science communication, Mirjam has experience and interest in the wider applicability and communication of science.
Posted by Shirin Heidari at 11:29
4th INTEREST Workshop, 25–28 May 2010, Maputo, Mozambique
The 4th INTEREST Workshop – the International Workshop on HIV Treatment, Pathogenesis and Prevention Research in Resource-Limited Settings – will take place on 25–28 May 2010 in Maputo, Mozambique.
In this interactive workshop, which aims to “promote coordination and collaboration, and transfer experiences across fields and continents”, scientists from low- and middle-income countries as well as developing countries will have the opportunity to share their research findings on HIV prevention, pathogenesis and treatment.
Presentations from renowned speakers will cover a wide range of topics, including the state-of-the-art in microbicides, paediatric HIV infection, and HIV-incidence determination. With a focus on issues that are especially relevant to Africa, the workshop gives young scientists from low- and middle-income countries the chance to present their research. In addition to abstract-driven and poster presentations, the workshop also includes time for discussion and interaction between the speakers and participants.
Register before 16 April 2010 to benefit from the regular fee!
Posted by Edith Gruslin at 11:12 Comments (0)
Today 24 March is World TB Day in commemoration of the date Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). This year’s slogan is “On the move against tuberculosis: Innovate to accelerate action.”
TB is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease that is transmitted from person to person through air particles. People with healthy immune systems infected with M. tuberculosis are often asymptomatic. However, active TB of the lungs causes coughing (sometimes with sputum or blood), weakness, chest pains, weight loss and fever. With a course of antibiotics, TB is treatable and curable; however, every year, hundreds of thousands of people die from this infectious disease.
Every day, about 4,000 people die of TB and one-third of the world population is infected. TB is the leading cause of death for those diagnosed with HIV in Africa and a leading cause in other places around the world. In 2008 alone, an estimated 500,000 people died from HIV-associated TB. (For statistics see WHO TB/HIV Facts 2009.)
Experts agree that research is needed to find ways to reduce transmission and reactivation of TB and to reduce prevalence in people with HIV. The package of interventions proposed is referred to as the “3 I’s”: Isoniazid Preventative Therapy, Intensified Case Finding and Infection Control. (See Think TB in People with HIV for a full outline) This approach will hopefully ameliorate the effect of TB on HIV-infected people.
Experts also agree that further research is needed to develop new and better performing TB diagnostic tools. More specifically, new tools should allow increased access to diagnosis and treatment, such as a point-of-care test, as well as being adapted to all populations currently underdiagnosed such as HIV coinfected individuals and infants.
To learn more about World TB Day activities, please visit the World TB Day website.
Posted by Edith Gruslin at 08:31 Comments (0)
The International AIDS Society (IAS) and 15 other leading public and private sector organizations have released a comprehensive research agenda designed to significantly advance global responses to HIV in women, girls and children. The new consensus statement, Asking the Right Questions: Advancing an HIV Research Agenda for Women and Children, includes 20 specific recommendations to expand and improve responses to the HIV-related challenges facing women and children worldwide.
Inadequate responses to HIV are a major barrier to women’s health and progress worldwide. According to UNAIDS, 15.7 million women and 2.1 million children under age 15 were living with HIV in 2008. Women and children made up the majority of the estimated 33.4 million people living with HIV in 2008.
The Agenda, which focuses on key gaps in clinical and programmatic knowledge that hinder access to effective HIV prevention, treatment and care for women and children, is being released today to coincide with International Women’s Day, whose theme is “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All.”
The Agenda was developed through an extensive consultative process involving investigators, clinicians, civil society and UN agencies, and was informed by an expert-led mapping exercise and literature review initiated by the IAS’ Industry Liaison Forum (IAS-ILF). It identifies priority research questions within four broad categories: 1) clinical research on prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and paediatric treatment; 2) clinical research on treatment issues for women; 3) operations research for women; and 4) operations and implementation research related to PMTCT, including paediatric care, treatment and support.
Recommendations in the fourth category of the agenda were developed though a parallel, high level consultation led by UNICEF, with the involvement of the Interagency Task Team for PMTCT, including the WHO, UNAIDS and US agencies and in collaboration with George Washington University (GWU) and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF).
The 16 organizations endorsing this Agenda commit to working together on its implementation. They invite others to join them to help ensure that the overall AIDS research agenda works for women and children, too.
Posted by Edith Gruslin at 10:21 Comments (0)