The research, the first of its kind in Africa which was conducted by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV-Aids and Canada's University of British Columbia, found that by merely receiving anti-retroviral treatment one can "expect to live a near normal lifespan".

'Landmark' study

Yesterday, the "landmark" study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and one of the authors is Dr Jean Nachega, professor of medicine and director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at Stellenbosch University.

The study involved over 22300 people aged 14 and older, who received combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART) at the Aids Support Organisation clinics between 2000 and 2009 in Uganda.

In Uganda, life expectancy at birth is 55 years. The study found that HIV-positive patients at the age of 20, who were placed on cART, could live for another 26,7 years, and a 35-year-old placed on the medication could live for an additional 27,9 years.

Nachega said studies like this one had been undertaken in Europe and North America.

"It highlights the importance of ARV treatment," said Nachega.

Healthy lifestyle

He also highlighted the fact that the study looked only at those on cARVs and did not take their diet into account.

Nachega said the results could only be beneficial for those patients who live a healthy lifestyle and use their medication as prescribed.

International donors who have ploughed money into the continent for the treatment of HIV and Aids would now see that their investments were paying off.

Interestingly, the study found that women had a significantly higher life expectancy than men because men only seek treatment when the disease is at a more advanced stage.

Nachega said there were several parallels between South Africa and Uganda when it came to the epidemic - one of the most important was that when the study was conducted, both countries had administered the same ARV cocktail to patients.

Comments

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Tue May 21 20:55:30 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 19, 2011

dinks

So where are all the know-it-alls who celebrated Mbeki and Manto and supported their insanity?
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Jul 19, 2011

MaLindo

I wish my brother can believe as well it hurts to see him behaving as if his insane... it not the end and i love him.
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Jul 19, 2011

sodoma

eish at last .
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Jul 19, 2011

DAVINATOR22

WE NEED A CURE!!!!! THATS WHAT WE ALL WANT LIVING WITH IT IS PAINFULL ENOUGH TO CAUSE DEATH!!
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Jul 19, 2011

Nathi's

This is most definitely true i have a relative living with the virus and she is as healthy as can be for 5years now so i think 20years + is possible, with the right attitude of course.

But the sad truth is that amajita dont take their health serious enough, we tend to throw ourself's into boose and all other thing knowing full well we are sick....I guess men are cowards
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Jul 19, 2011

Shredder

@Nathi - Yeah! With the right attitude. That is the most important thing. I think most people are weakened by depression, worrying too much about death rather than looking forward to living healthily.
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Jul 19, 2011

Nicholaster

Nothing is painful than to know your HIV status esp when you are possitive; people lose hope, some killed by mass-thinking, under-esteemation and self-accusation; All we must know esp as youth, is that HIV/AIDS in not curable just like high blood pressure, stoke, diabetes, etc

At first we had thought that high blood of only for heavy weights but everyone can get, and it is free to get it.
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Jul 19, 2011

Mara_Y

@Nathi n Shredder well said "with right attitude" Nothing is impossible. the fact of life is been able 2 cope in the condition ur life is facing.
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Jul 19, 2011

Spark

There is hope, one doctor once said - You make HIV the drama you want it to be! People fail the medication not the medication failing the people! Men -especially take responsibility and test regularly. Even with other diseases - Women's life expectancy is higher because the ladies do take care of themselves, regular checks etc... My own dad could have been saved, he decided to keep quite about his cancer - until it was too late to do anything for him. I look at my mom, she lived with a heart condition since birth that could have been fatal, infact they only picked up 5 years ago what was wrong but because whenever she felt sick/uncomfortable she would go to the doctor and get antibiotics - the same antibiotics sustained her untill one heart specialist picked up the problem and operated.
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Jul 19, 2011

TKay

Good..now lets work towards the cure.
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