Joris van Vugt’s Post

🌍 World AIDS Day: A Call to Action 🌍 On this World AIDS Day, GAFFI recognizes the tremendous progress made in controlling, diagnosing, and treating HIV. However, we cannot ignore the harsh reality: people with advanced HIV still face alarmingly high mortality rates. Fungal Disease is the leading cause of these deaths, with cryptococcal meningitis, disseminated histoplasmosis, talaromycosis, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia being the primary culprits. The main barrier? Lack of access to diagnostics in many countries, especially in LMICs. This forces healthcare providers to treat blindly, often missing the true condition affecting the patient. After all, medicine without diagnosis is witchcraft. We have the tools to change this. Diagnostic techniques for these infections are commercially available, effective, and proven to work. What we need now is a technology transfer from HICs to LMICs to ensure global access to these life-saving diagnostics. 🌟 No one should die due to lack of diagnosis. Help us make it happen. #WorldAIDSDay #FungalDisease #Diagnostics #GlobalHealth #GAFFI #HIV #FungalAI #FundFungalSolutions #ThinkFungalPatients #UnburdenFungalImpact #GlobalFungalCare

According to UNAIDS, fewer people acquired HIV and almost 31 million people were receiving lifesaving antiretroviral therapy in 2023, a public health success that has reduced the numbers of AIDS-related deaths to their lowest level since its peak in 2004. Early detection for any disease is always the way to prevent disease complications. The same in cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), early detection is the way for early treatment and better outcomes. On this world day, EVA Pharma is eager to raise awareness on early detection, fight the stigma of AIDS, and provide new hope for people living with HIV (PLWH). #EVAPharma

In 2022, South Africa had one of the highest incidences of TB globally. An estimated 60% of new TB cases in SA are in persons with HIV. Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI) is the most common severe adverse drug reaction (ADR) of anti-tuberculous therapy. These factors contribute to the risk of anti-tuberculous drug-induced liver injury For detailed guidance on managing DILI in individuals with HIV undergoing tuberculosis treatment, please refer to/download the new comprehensive guideline: https://lnkd.in/d2_2Q-hB #TB #HIV #HealthcareProfessionals #ClinicalCare #ChangingLives

I am encouraged by the recent UNAIDS report, which underscores the significant progress made in the global fight against HIV. In 2023, nearly 31 million individuals were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and new HIV infections have declined across various racial and socioeconomic groups. This progress highlights the critical importance of early detection, timely intervention, and the role of healthcare providers in improving patient outcomes and preventing the progression of HIV.   However, despite these advancements, much work remains to be done, particularly in marginalized communities where HIV continues to pose a substantial challenge. In 2021, African Americans accounted for approximately 42% of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S., despite comprising only 13% of the population. Similarly, Latinx individuals represented 25% of new diagnoses, while making up about 19% of the U.S. population. In contrast, the rate of new diagnoses among White individuals continues to be significantly lower, at 6.9 per 100,000 population. These disparities highlight the need for targeted interventions and greater access to care in communities that are underserved.   While there has been notable progress, the 2024 UNAIDS report clearly indicates that the global response is not on track to meet the 2025 targets, particularly in reducing new infections and expanding access to treatment. It emphasizes the urgent need to intensify efforts to reduce new infections, combat stigma, and ensure that HIV care is accessible, inclusive, and fully funded. As we strive toward ending the HIV epidemic by 2030, these challenges must be addressed with urgency and precision.   As a pharmacist-in-training, I am deeply committed to advancing HIV prevention through strategies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). It is crucial to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and ensure equitable access to healthcare in order to sustain the progress we’ve made and further reduce HIV transmission. I am eager to contribute to these efforts, advocating for comprehensive care and prevention as part of the next generation of healthcare professionals who will make a meaningful impact in the fight against HIV. Through my passion for HIV prevention and patient care, I aim to be part of the transformative change needed to achieve a future where HIV transmission is no longer a public health threat. #HIVPrevention #Pharmacy #PublicHealth #PatientCare #HealthEquity

🚀 Explore cutting-edge insights on dyslipidemia management in People Living with HIV (PLHIV) with our latest article reprint: 📝 "Pathophysiology and Clinical Management of Dyslipidemia in People Living with HIV: Sailing through Rough Seas" authored by Eleni Papantoniou, Konstantinos Arvanitakis, Konstantinos Markakis, Stavros Papadakos, Olga Tsachouridou, Djordje Popovic, GEORGIOS GERMANIDIS, Theocharis Koufakis MD, PhD, and Kalliopi Kotsa. 📖 Discover: The intricate pathways linking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and HIV infection with dyslipidemia. Optimal treatment strategies to mitigate cardiovascular risk in PLHIV. Comparative analysis of HAART regimens and their impact on lipid profiles. 🔍 This review provides valuable insights into potential switching strategies and therapeutic options. 📎 Access the Article Here: https://lnkd.in/daNvWFKW Stay informed and stay ahead in HIV management! #Healthcare #HIVCare #DyslipidemiaManagement #ResearchInsights

📣 Today! The GHTM session titled “Transitional Readiness Assessment for Youth Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya” is about to start. At 11:00 am, join us and learn about the youth living with HIV in Kenya, the healthcare transition from paediatrics to adult care settings and its contributions to malaria eradication through the genetic modification of malaria vector populations; and join the discussion on the work done regarding transitional readiness assessment.     Read more about the topic of this session here: https://lnkd.in/d4me6BVx     See you there! #ghtm #ghtmsessions #hiv #transitionalreadinessassessment #globalhealth #tropicalmedicine

The Division of Infectious Diseases announced a continuous quality improvement (CQI) project created to increase STD and mammography screening in HIV positive cis-female patients. The launch consists of four emails which reveal: 1. Stats of screening rates at UNC Eastowne Infectious Diseases Clinic 2. Explains why ID physicians need to order STI and mammogram screening. 3. Links to the specificity and sensitivity of self-swab STD testing in cis-female patients. 4. Explanation tof the new patient questionnaire that helps identify a patient who needs screening. Led by first-year infectious diseases fellow Gregory Rothchild, the CQI team chose to launch the project this month to coincide with Women’s History Month. 🔗 https://ow.ly/zPiA50R3nYZ #UNC #DeptofMed #unchealth #mammography #STD #healthscreenings #HIV #ContinuousQualityImprovement #CQI #healthproject #WomensHistoryMonth #WomensHealth

n 2015, the United Nations set ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030—just 5 years from now—as one of the Sustainable Development Goals. The targets to reduce the global number of new HIV infections per 1000 uninfected people to 0.05 by 2025 and 0.025 by 2030 are ambitious.1 In the latter half of the 20th century, as HIV ravaged populations globally, such a goal would have been unthinkable. That we now have the tools to achieve it is a miracle, but that we are not on track to achieve it is a tragedy—one that must be averted.

Nelson Vergel, an HIV long-term survivor and friend of RORA Bio recently chronicled his journey as person living as an HIV-immune non-responder (“HIV-INR”). See the link below. People living as HIV-INRs face persistent immunological challenges in which their CD4 T-cell levels remain below 300 cells/mL (a better range is 500-1500). The low T-cell level makes them more susceptible to infection and certain cancers for life. RORA Bio is developing a first-in-class T-cell platform that may help support T-cell levels in HIV-INR patients should future clinical trials be successful. The platform consists of a newly discovered, long-lived, stem-like memory cell population that we call “RORA cells”. https://lnkd.in/eRRenhrY

On this #WorldAIDSDay, we bring attention to advances in HIV/AIDS #research--and the need for better clinical interventions. View this on-demand #webinar where Dr. Floyd Wormley details how Taconic's humanized immune system mice can be used to study opportunistic pathogens that disproportionately affect people with HIV/AIDS, including cryptococcosis. Watch it here: https://hubs.li/Q02ZJ4r10