Local AIDS researchers welcome news of HIV "cure" with caution
Leading researchers are not about to rest in search of a cure for the world's biggest epidemic, HIV/AIDS.
Preliminary reports last week showed that a second patient from UK may have been cured of the disease.
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In Uganda researchers are watching the developments with keen interest.
The executive director of Uganda Virus Research Institute Prof Ponsiano Kaleebu told us that while the developments are encouraging, ARVs shall remain crucial in containing the effects of HIV/AIDS.
Prof Kaleebu said while the UK patient illustrated that there could be a major break through soon, the mode of treatment including Chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant performed on him still is an expensive venture, above the means of ordinary people.
He said the CCR5 a strain of HIV that dominates around the world is key in ensuring success of this procedure, its rarely found in humans.
The news has also drawn mixed reactions from Ugandans living with HIV/AIDS.
There are fears that these may increase complacency and non-adherence to ARVs.
In the meantime, the focus remains early diagnosis and starting patients on lifelong combination antiretroviral therapy.
