HIV is one of the greatest challenges to human health. Currently an estimated 33 million people are living with HIV with more than half of these infections in women and children.

In western countries with high standards of health care and ready access to antiretroviral drugs, living with HIV means that people can live relatively normal lives. In many resource-poor communities however, where good health care and ready access to drugs is not readily available or very expensive, living with HIV can often result in a very different outcome.

What we’re doing in the laboratory and overseas

It’s really important that we understand as much as possible about HIV and its make up.

In the laboratory, we’re undertaking basic research looking at how HIV infects cells, how it reproduces, and where it lives in the body. 

We’re also developing a vaccine to prevent HIV infection, and new drugs to treat people already infected. In a novel approach to prevention of infection, our scientists are developing a gel that can be used to block HIV from infecting cells. This gel is already undergoing clinical trials and is expected to be available to the public in the near future. 

A rapid test using a finger prick of blood has also been developed to measure the immune status of HIV infected patients and is currently undergoing clinical trials with some very positive results. Like all medical research, coming up with a workable solution can be a slow process, but we continue to make significant progress.

Part of Burnet’s role is to educate people about the virus and how it’s spread. There are many places in the world where information is not readily available and if it is available may not be able to accessible to everyone in need because of illiteracy, cost, stigma or other reasons. We’re working in a number of resource-poor countries where people are at risk of contracting this virus, providing education and training, increasing the capacity of local government agencies and non government organisations to respond to the issues around HIV.

For more information about Burnet’s work on HIV go to www.burnet.edu.au