A NEW WEAPON

The HIV/Aids pandemic has been well documented for the past thirty years. In those early years, before the advent of anti-retroviral therapy, the Press was full of stories of the wholesale carnage of HIV. Then came the treatment breakthrough with anti-retrovirals which elicited an important change in earlier focus. HIV had now become a chronic manageable disease, rather than an uncontrollable killer!

More recently, the world shows signs of an extreme fatigue around the HIV issue. People are bored with reports of a burgeoning population of Aids orphans and of millions of new infections despite the huge campaign towards condomisation.

The credit crunch since late 2007 has also caused a reappraisal of HIV issues. Diminished cash flows have made donors look carefully at the effectiveness of their giving. Some programs face cutbacks as limited finance forces a potentially dangerous, yet necessary adjustment in tough economic circumstances.

At the World Aids Conference in Vienna earlier this year, Bill Gates spoke of the need to find "new weapons" in the fight against Aids. The effects of the credit crunch are causing a massive re-evaluation of how the problem is addressed.

We should be mindful that the current exhaustion around the Aids issue does not result in an increasing apathy or reduced determination to beat the scourge of Aids. Problems that are ignored tend to fester before making their presence felt in even more uncomfortable ways.

In July 2010, I underwent a two-week HIVEX treatment in Durban for an HIV infection that was diagnosed in 2005. Having survived full-blown Aids twice in my early journey with HIV, I have witnessed a strong rebound in my health, despite having voluntarily suspended all anti-retroviral medication nearly six months ago.

HIVEX underwent a significant Phase I and Phase II clinical trial at the Nelson R Mandela Medical School at the University of KwaZulu Natal. This is one of the top Aids research facilities in the world. The trial proved the efficacy of the treatment as well as its safety. The Radiation Commission has recommended approval of the HIVEX treatment by the South African Health Ministry.

HIVEX might well be one of the "new weapons" referred by Bill Gates at the Vienna Aids Conference. It is non-invasive, appropriate to malnourished patients, relatively cheap and does not require sophisticated personnel for its operation. HIVEX permanently disables the HI virus, allowing those treated to recover without the need for ongoing costly medical interventions.

With over 30% of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics currently testing HIV+ in South Africa, the need to keep up the pressure to bring effective treatment and to significantly reduce the increase of new infections remains paramount. My own recent experience with HIVEX suggests we might just be on the threshold of another important breakthrough in this serious health challenge.

http://hivex-treatment.org