The interdisciplinary seminar offered varying perspectives on practical treatment issues in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Along with presenting her research findings, key speaker Professor Marie-Louise Newell of the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies (seconded from the UCL Institute of Child Health) gave an overarching picture of the successes and failures in the treatment of HIV/AIDS globally.

The theme of the presentation was the examination and adaptation of new prevention programmes for regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa which continue to be disproportionately affected by the disease. This approach marks a shift from a past WHO HIV/AIDS programming goal of treating three million positive individuals by 2005, to using treatment as prevention which could lead to a phasing-out of new infections by 2015.

Joining Professor Newell as panellists were Winnie Ssanyu Sseruma, an activist who works with Christian Aid, and Professor Jonathan Wolff of UCL’s Philosophy department.