COVID-19: messages from our colleagues Innocent Muziq and Eh!Woza
Wellcome Trust Director of Science and Head of Infection and Immunobiology visit CIDRI-Africa
Mike Turner (Wellcome Director of Science) and Christiane Hertz-Fowler (Wellcome Head of Infection and Immunobiology) visited CIDRI-Africa on Friday 24 January 2020. The pair met with centre investigators and early career researchers, and viewed the clinical and basic science facilities at Site B Khayelitsha Community Health Centre and the IDM respectively. In the afternoon, early career researchers enjoyed the opportunity to present their work at an open session.
Towards a TB vaccine: results of the phase IIb trial of M72/AS01E announced at the Union World Conference
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng launches CIDRI-Africa's extended clinical research site
World TB Day 2019
Khutazwa Madolo appeared on Cape Town TV (DStv 263) in the run-up to World TB Day on 24th March, while Zandile Ciko & Andiswa Vazi were interviewed on Zibonele FM. CIDRI-Africa also participated in a World TB Day event at Thusong Multi-purpose Center in Khayelitsha on the 21st of March, along with partners CTV, Juicebox, Ihulmelo Lokhanyo Lwethu, City of Cape Town, and the Western Cape Department of Health.
UNAIDS Executive Director Michael Sidibé on World AIDS Day 2018
The theme of this year's World AIDS Day is "Live life positively: Know your HIV status". In this video, Michael Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, explains the importance of testing:
Take the UNAIDS "Test Test" if you are unsure if you are at risk of HIV infection.
PredART trial results published in New England Journal of Medicine
An analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that a four-week course of moderate dose prednisone reduces the risk of TB-IRIS (tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome) by 30% in HIV-positive patients at high risk of developing the condition. This is the first trial to show that TB-IRIS can be prevented in these patients and represents an important contribution to the body of knowledge on management of HIV-TB co-infection. The findings have already resulted in changes to antiretroviral therapy guidelines around the world.
In the PredART trial, researchers from CIDRI-Africa and the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp, Belgium) investigated whether providing people at high risk of TB-IRIS with moderate-dose prednisone could prevent development of the condition. The researchers enrolled HIV-positive patients who were initiating ART, who had started tuberculosis treatment within 30 days before enrolment, and who had a very low CD4 count
Watch a video on the trial below.
Union Scientific Director comments on M72 vaccine trial
Following the recent International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease World Conference, Scientific Director Dr Paula Fujiwara commented on several new TB-related innovations, including the M72 vaccine trial in which CIDRI-Africa participated.
Visit by delegation from the People's Republic of China
Prof. Wilkinson and Dr Taeksun Song were pleased to welcome a delegation from the People's Republic of China led by Dr Guo Wanshen on the 10th of August 2018. The visitors reviewed clinical research and laboratory facilities associated with the Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, and discussed ongoing collaborations and possible future ventures. The delegation included Dr Guo Wanshen (Director of Division of International Cooperation, Henan Provincial Commission of Health and Family Planning), Prof. Zhang Jiangong (President of Henan Cancer Hospital), and Dr Pan Ye (Vice President of Henan Provincial Chest Hospital).