Govt welcomes gel breakthrough

2010-07-21 08:17

Special Report

HIV/Aids Special Report

HIV/aids

Johannesburg - The announcement of a "breakthrough" gel to help women protect themselves against HIV and other infections was welcomed by Cabinet on Tuesday.

"Cabinet welcomed the groundbreaking news that a study that was jointly funded by the South African and United States governments had established that an antiretroviral microbicide reduces the rate of HIV and herpes infections in women by 40% and 51% respectively," said government spokesperson Themba Maseko following a regular Cabinet meeting in Pretoria.

The study was presented at the International Aids Conference in Vienna, Austria. It was conducted by the Centre for Aids Programme of Research in Durban which partnered with associates from the Columbia University in the US.

"Sexual transmission of HIV is the most common way that HIV is spread and accounts for about 85% of all HIV infections globally.

"A key driver of HIV infection in southern Africa is the high rate of new HIV infection among young women and reducing new infections in this category is key to altering the HIV epidemic in the region," Maseko said.

Studies to confirm the results would be initiated "urgently" to fast-track the availability of the gel to the public.

It would also be manufactured in South Africa for distribution locally and internationally.

- SAPA

Read more on: hiv aids

NEXT ON NEWS24X

Dad who killed son 'not aggressive'

7 minutes ago

Inside News24

'Standing man' joins icons

Turkey's 'standing man' has joined the ranks of history's iconic symbols.
World's Best Airlines

You prefer these airlines, according to the Skytrax Airline Awards.
SA's drugs of choice

One in 10 South Africans has an addiction problem.
Best and Worst: Emmy's

Here's are the good, the bad and the ugly.
Caption This! and win

We have our 1st winner! 3 more prizes up for grabs.
VIDEO: 246kW Seat Leon

The Leon Cup Racer was built for quick laps and track performance.
Take a selfie like a celeb

Ever taken a selfie? Take some tips from these celebs.
We're a filthy lot

When it comes to personal hygiene, we humans are a filthy lot.

Settings

Location Settings

News24 allows you to edit the display of certain components based on a location. If you wish to personalise the page based on your preferences, please select a location for each component and click "Submit" in order for the changes to take affect.

Friday	13-19°c	Showers late. Morning clouds. Mild.
Saturday	12-17°c	Morning clouds. Cool.
Sunday	12-19°c	Sunny. Mild.
Monday	12-16°c	Showers late. Mostly cloudy. Cool.
Tuesday	13-16°c	Passing showers. Mostly cloudy. Cool.
Wednesday	12-17°c	More sun than clouds. Mild.

More weather from Weather24 >

Thursday 13-18°C

Govt welcomes gel breakthrough

Special Report

Other Stories in Aids Focus...

Inside News24

Welcome to News24

News in your area

Travel - Look, Book, Go!

Kalahari.com - shop online today

Sponsored links

I'm shopping for:

services

Hello

Create Profile

Please provide a username for your profile page:

Hello

Choose a display name:

Edit your avatar:

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Saving your profile

Settings

Saving your settings

Facebook Sign-In