Truvada

Vaccination, Innovation, Research, Infectious Diseases, Health Insurance

Will We Witness the End of HIV in Our Lifetime?

~Written by Theresa Majeski (Contact: theresa.majeski@gmail.com; Twitter: @theresamajeski)

December 1st of every year is designated as World AIDS Day, a day devoted to increasing knowledge and awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS around the world. This year is no different, and over the last few months and years some exciting things have been happening regarding HIV/AIDS.

The year 2013 has become known as the “turning point” or “tipping point” in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This describes the fact that 2.3 million people began anti-retroviral medication in 2013 while only 2.1 million new infections were diagnosed. In other words, more people are receiving treatment and fewer people are becoming infected than ever before. If we keep this accelerating HIV scale-up through 2020, UNAIDS predicts we could see the end of HIV/AIDS by 2030

Figure 1. WHO infograph detailing the impact of expanding ART (antiretroviral therapy)

In the United States there has been a lot of media coverage, over the last year or two, surrounding pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for use by HIV-negative people to prevent HIV infection. PrEP is daily medication regimen utilizing an HIV drug called Truvada. Studies have shown that people who take PrEP as directed were 92% less likely to contract HIV. However, although it is increasing, PrEp usage remains lower than anticipated. Some barriers include a lack of PrEP awareness in people who are most at risk for HIV, some medical provider resistance to prescribing PrEP and some inconsistent insurance coverage. Additionally, PrEP continues to suffer from an image problem. When PrEP first became available, many critics were skeptical of its effectiveness in real-world settings and thought that it would undo years of work to educate folks about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. Critics also thought that being able to take a daily drug to prevent HIV would promote promiscuity and unsafe sex. A recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine proves the critics wrong on some of their fears.

An HIV/AIDS vaccine has been on the horizon ever since the epidemic was discovered. However, as we learned more about HIV, it became apparent that developing a vaccine was going to be a challenging effort. While there continue to be many HIV vaccines at various stages of development, scientists are excited about one being developed by one of the scientists who identified HIV as the cause of AIDS, Dr. Robert Gallo. His team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Institute of Human Virology is beginning human trials on a potentially groundbreaking HIV vaccine. Instead of targeting different HIV viral markers to help the immune system recognize and eliminate HIV-infected cells, Dr. Gallo and his team’s vaccine targets HIV when it enters the body to prevent it from infecting cells.

All of these promising developments relating to HIV/AIDS should not overshadow the challenges that still lie ahead. Many people do not know they have HIV because they’ve never been tested. The Berkshire town of Reading in the UK is expanding its HIV testing program by offering free tests because it has more than double the UK average of HIV-positive people. The number of HIV-positive people in Russia continues to increase and has reached almost 1 million people. Some countries are passing anti-gay legislation and there is a direct link between criminalizing laws and increased rates of HIV. These are the challenges some parts of the world face in the efforts to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

World AIDS Day provides a way for everyone to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It’s an annual day to think about the people who’ve lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses and to champion efforts to prevent more people from losing their lives due to HIV/AIDS related causes. This December 1st do a little research, learn about the burden of HIV/AIDS in your community, and decide how to get involved. Together we can end HIV/AIDS in our lifetime.