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The Sidaction days devoted to HIV information and awareness raising take place on March 25, 26 and 27. The opportunity to discuss research against the virus and the progress that remains to be made with Serawit Bruck-Landais, director of quality and health research at Sidaction.
“Research has produced a lot of knowledge and tools about the HIV virus” begins Serawit Bruck-Landais, Director of Quality and Health Research at Sidaction. “It has allowed the development of many treatments available today for patients, which target the virus and counter its development..
Improved treatments over time
Treatments for HIV have made dramatic progress, moving from pills to be taken daily to a long-acting injection, to be given every two months, to control the viral load in the organism of the infected person. “Today there are more comfortable treatments but which are not accessible to everyone, inequalities remain, unfortunately, whether geographical or due to social categories” emphasizes Serawit Bruck-Landais. “For example, the access of children affected by the disease to treatments is still complicated, because the dosages are not always adapted, the taste of the drugs can put off the children… “.
Finding a way to get the immune system to control the virus
If research has progressed for treatments, the control of the virus by the immune system is not yet relevant. “This is the goal, so that the organism of an infected person can control the virus to undetectable levels, so that they cannot transmit it. This can go through a fortification of the immune system. It’s possible because it’s something that exists naturally in some people.”.
But the deadline for achieving this goal is difficult to estimate, although the phase one study launched by the Moderna laboratory in favor of a candidate vaccine against HIV is a step in the right direction.
The use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in prevention
One of the other major advances in HIV prevention is the possibility of using pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent exposure to the virus. “PrEP can be used continuously or on an ad hoc basis and is intended in particular for men who are going to have sex with another man. explains the director of quality and health research at Sidaction. “It’s something more and more available for men, but research still needs to be developed to adapt it to women as well.”.
This is one of the objectives of research against the virus, which requires “more sustainable funding and which also always needs donations to move forward in its various projects” concludes Serawit Bruck-Landais.
To donate:
- By phone at 110, the donation line. 110 is open throughout the Sidaction period and will remain open until April 23 for people who still wish to make a donation.
- Online at https://don.sidaction.org/. Donating online (secure payment) is faster and more economical.
- By SMS to 92 110: if you want to make a donation by SMS, send the word “DON” to 92 110. A donation of €5 will be donated to Sidaction.