World AIDS Day - A call for global solidarity, community partnerships & leadership to end AIDS
End inequalities. End AIDS. End pandemics
A clarion and unanimous call for strong leadership, political will, global solidarity, and a bold plan to attain the UNAIDS tar-get to end AIDS was made by eminent scientists, government officials and civil society, at three events co-hosted by CAPRISA to commemorate World AIDS Day. The events were held in partnership with the Chinese Centres for Disease Control (China CDC), the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa and the National Research Foundation (NRF).
The China CDC and CAPRISA co-hosted a webinar on Monday 29th November which brought together the world’s foremost HIV scientists and HIV activist, Ms Sibongile Tshabalala Chairperson of TAC. Scientists acknowledged the significant gains made in treatment and raised concern that HIV prevention measures was ‘lagging’ behind, with an estimated 1.5m new infections in 2020. They called for a rejuvenation of the strategy in line with realities on the ground. Watch the webinar here
TAC and CAPRISA and Vulindlela Community leadership co-hosted a community-based event on Tuesday, 30th November at CAPRISA’s Vulindlela Research Clinic. The event brought together participants, community leadership and scientists who recognised the power of partnerships, excellence and science in responses to HIV to date and called for renewed effort to enhance responses to HIV and Covid-19. Watch the video recording here.
The NRF hosted the NRF Science for Society World AIDS Day lecture on Wednesday, 1st December in partnership with CAPRISA themed: HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 – navigating the intersect of the two pandemics. The lecture explored lessons learned from the Covid-19 vaccine development; the HIV vaccine research; the interplay between HIVAIDS and COVID-19 and its impact on communities; and the inequities that have emerged from the pandemics. Speakers included: Salim Abdool Karim (CAPRISA Director), Penny Moore (NICD), Mark Heywood (Maverick Citizen Editor) and Patrick Mdletshe (CAPRISA Head of Community Programmes). Watch the lecture here.
Speakers at the WAD webinar co-hosted by the China CDC and CAPRISA.
Top row (L-R): Prof Adeeba Kamarulzaman President of the International AIDS Society; Prof Peter Piot, Handa Professor of Global Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Prof George Gao, Director General of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC); Ms Sibongile Tshabalala, Chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) South Africa;
Bottom row (L-R): Prof Salim S. Abdool Karim, Director, CAPRISA; Dr Peter Hayward Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet HIV (Moderator); Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Associate Scientific Director, CAPRISA; and Prof Mengjie Han, Director National Centre for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, at China CDC.
Group photo top: (L-R): Community leadership Mrs Sithole & Reverend Sithole; Ms Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly Country Director Africa, The World Bank; Dr Reshma Sheoraj Member of the Board at the World Bank Group; Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim, CA-PRISA Associate Scientific Director; Mr Patrick Mdletshe, CAPRISA Head of Community Programmes
2nd Row: Photo (L): Dr Mamosa Tshabalala, Acting Chief Director Strategic Health Programmes, Department of Health (R): Pastor Mlotshwa, Chairperson, CAPRISA Community Research Support