SINCE 1981, HIV/AIDS have claimed the lives of 25 million people globally and orphaned about 15 million children. Sub-Saharan Africa in 2006 carried about 3 million new infections; and these infections exceed those for the other parts of the world merged.

More than 80% of heterosexual transmission of the virus today is responsible for most HIV infections; and women, due to biological and cultural raison d'être, experience asymmetrical anguish from the AIDS pandemic.

In the absence of a preventive HIV vaccine, microbicides present a viable option to condoms in the area of primary prevention of HIV. And microbicides could empower women to shield themselves and their partners; also, women can effectively control the use of microbicides, and would not have need of cooperation or even consent from their sexual partners.

Today, I stumbled on an article in The Graduate on HIV/AIDS from my Alma Mater Queen’s University, Belfast.

This article notes that Chair in Pharmaceutics and Director of Pharmaceutical Sciences Research in the School of Pharmacy Professor David Woolfson and Lecturer in Pharmaceutics Dr. Karl Malcolm of Queen’s University of Belfast are conducting pioneering research to fight HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.

These Pharmacists concentrate on a controlled release of multiple HIV microbicides from vaginal rings to prevent the heterosexual transmission of HIV in women.

Woolfson and Malcolm are part of an international research consortium headed by HIV Researcher Professor Robin Shattock from St. George’s Medical School, London.

And the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), Washington DC, in acknowledging the pioneering work of Woolfson and Malcolm, will make available US$1.5 million to the School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast, for the creation of a new research unit to continue work on HIV microbicides.

This new laboratory will administer several projects that would include polymeric vaginal rings (IVR) for release of microbicides. Inauguration of this new laboratory is set for this month.

Woolfson notes that: “To protect women during heterosexual intercourse, the first option is to vaginally deliver an agent, known as a microbicide, that will block the infection. The other approach is to develop a vaccine to provide widespread immunity to the virus. Because of the many hurdles to be overcome before a vaccine can be developed, we are hoping that the microbicide approach will be quicker and will allow us to gain some control over the pandemic in the medium term.”

Woolfson, Malcom, and others, in the American Journal of Drug Delivery in 2006, explain that the definitive prevention tool, that is, a safe, inexpensive, and effective vaccine, is nowhere around the corner, notwithstanding gigantic efforts over the last twenty years. And so the Journal states that women could use this vaginally applied HIV microbicide in 5 years’ time.

However, when this vaginal microbicide becomes available, first-time users may utilize the customary semi-solid formulations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) makes the case for sustaining the promotion of microbicides. Notwithstanding knowledge of HIV prevention strategies, HIV transmission remains disturbingly high in developing countries, particularly among women.

In the absence of a preventive HIV vaccine, microbicides present a viable option to condoms in the area of primary prevention of HIV. And microbicides could empower women to shield themselves and their partners; also, women can effectively control the use of microbicides, and would not have need of cooperation or even consent from their sexual partners.

Clearly, increasing feminization of AIDS demonstrates that AIDS strategies have failed to attend to women’s needs.

And in 2006, UNAIDS and WHO claim that 17.7 million women were living with HIV; that is, about half of adults living with HIV and AIDS are women; and this disturbingly high rate continues to victimize women.

Well, without a preventive vaccine, microbicides may be a viable answer for women, especially in developing countries, in the medium term. (By PREM MISIR)