HIV/AIDS: From Alabama to Africa Part 5
by Sherri Jackson
CBS 42 News
2007-11-02 14:37:51.0
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We now look at treatment of HIV/AIDS, and how people living with the disease are living longer.
“When I first started taking meds, I was taking 30-something pills a day.”
That was ten years ago when Misty Caldwell was diagnosed with full blown aids. She was prescribed AZT.
“You know, AZT wasn’t good, but it’s improved greatly,” said Caldwell.
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Now she takes only two aids medications, combination therapies that are being studied at UAB's Center for AIDS Research. There are more than 25 new HIV drugs available to treat patients like Misty today.
"What we are trying to discover now is how to best use those drugs how to make them so they have the most impact for the longest period of time," said Dr. Michael Sagg from the UAB Center for AIDS Research.
"I'm not on medicines. I've only been on medicines twice. That was when i was pregnant."
This woman, who wants to conceal her identity, has been HIV positive for 11 years. Her babies were not positive.
While on assignment in Africa, I learned that many mothers transmit the virus to their babies. UAB is involved in a major move in Zambia to change that.
"UAB has a very large effort in Losuka, Zambia where we have put over 110,000 people into care in a matter of just over three years," said Sagg.
In another area of UAB’s campus I talked with Dr. Jiri Mestecky, whose research of the gut and its mucosal membranes has gained traction in the last couple of years. He says mucosal membranes in the gut are the first tissue to display any type of changes after HIV infection. T-cells are reduced 80% to 90% within two to three weeks.
"Don't forget HIV infected people who are not treated often die of mucosal infections," said Mestecky.
Whether it's laboratory research or direct patient care like what's found at UAB’s 1917 Clinic. This center for aids research at UAB is leading the way in treating people who are HIV positive. 20 years ago the results were different.
“Basically all we could do was hand holding and help people die with dignity. Now we can identify people get them into care. Right now 65% of our patients have undetectable levels of the virus,” said Sagg.
Sagg expects another area of HIV prevention to gain momentum, something he calls treatment as prevention.
“Meaning if we had every person in the world who was HIV positive discover their status, get them on therapy and get the amount of virus to undetectable levels, there is a very good likelihood that that would stop the transmission,” said Sagg.
But getting people to learn their HIV status remains a huge hurdle to HIV treatment from Alabama to Africa.
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