Formorethan40years,theHarvardcommunityhasbeenworkingtounderstandthediseaseandtreatthoseaffected.Now,withlife-changingtreatmentsavailableandpotentialcuresonthehorizon,wemaybeenteringanewphaseoftheepidemic.
AlthoughthesearchforacureforHIVcontinues,the40-plus-yearjourneyhasfueledadvanceswellbeyondthevirus.
ResearchersmayhavefoundapowerfulnewpreventativetreatmentagainstthevirusthatcausesAIDS.
Whatcomestomindwhenyouheartheword“virus”Perhapsthecommoncold,acoldsore,ormaybeevenaglobalpandemic.
Harvardresearchershavebeeninvolvedinpioneeringthediagnosis,prevention,andtreatmentofHIV/AIDS.
DuringhertimeattheHarvardChanSchool,ElizabethevaluatedmessagingfromlocalgovernmentsregardingHIVprevention.
AsapioneeringAIDSresearcher,MaxwasoneofthefirsttoproposethataretroviruswasthecauseofAIDS.HisworkeventuallyledtothedevelopmentofanHIVbloodtest.
DuringhertimewithHarvard’sHealthLawandPolicyClinic,AliattendedtheAIDSWatchConference,whichisanannual,constituent-basedHIVadvocacyevent.
Franciscoiscommittedtoprioritizingscalableinterventionsthataredevelopedandimplementedbycommunity-ledorganizationsbyensuringthesevitalvoicesareleadingthechargeinresponsetoHIVintheU.S.
Despiteprogressintreatmentandprevention,morethan39millionpeoplelivedwithHIVacrosstheglobein2023.
AlthoughstrideshavebeenmadeinpreventingthespreadofHIV/AIDS,researchersareexploringbetterandnovelapproachestokeepingHIVfromevertakinghold.
ResearchersattheSchoolofEngineeringandAppliedScienceshavedevelopedanAIsystemthatcanidentifythepeoplewithinasocialnetworkwhocanmosteffectivelypromoteinformationaboutHIVpreventiontotheirpeers.
TheHarvardChanSchoolhasdevelopedahighlyadaptablevaccineplatformthatcouldbeapowerfultoolinthefightagainstviralpathogens,includingHIV.
Atwice-yearlyinjectionofthedruglenacapavircanprovidetotalprotectionagainstHIVinfections.
HarvardexpertsaredoingimportantworktoadvancethetreatmentoptionsavailabletoHIVandAIDSpatients.
WhilelifeexpectancyremainsloweramongyouthwithHIVcomparedtotheirpeerswithoutHIV,thesegapshavelesstodowiththediseaseandmoretodowithdisengagementfromcareandothersociodemographicfactors.
WhenHIV/AIDSenteredthepublic’sawarenessinthe1980s,itbroughtwithitatremendousamountofuncertaintyanddeadlymisconceptions.Findingeffectivetreatmentsbecameapriorityacrosstheglobe.
In2023,panelistsataHarvardMedicalSchooleventreflectedonhowthemediadepictsthediseaseandthoselivingwithit.
ThereisstillmuchtolearnaboutHIVandAIDS,andresearcherscontinuetoexplorethevirus’impact,potentialtreatmentoptions,andwaystokeeppeoplehealthy.