THE University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Research Centre (UZ-CTRC) is continuing research into finding a cure for HIV as the country seeks to ensure the chronic disease ceases to be a public health threat by 2030.
UZ-CTRC has been at the forefront of developing and testing strategies to prevent and treat HIV, tuberculosis, COVID-19, cancer and other conditions.
Senior research nurse, Vanessa Gatsi, said UZ-CTRC’s research helped to shape the country’s HIV prevention guidelines and influence progress in the region.
“Because of our research, Zimbabwe became the first country in Africa to approve the Dapivirine vaginal ring and the injectable PrEP,” she said.
“We also supported health workers in clinics by training them to administer the new PrEP injections and to counsel clients so they could choose the best HIV prevention method available.”
She was speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing Sadc Joint Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Education in Harare yesterday.
UZ-CTRC’s work has directly contributed to the development of HIV prevention guidelines, including PrEP for adults and nevirapine prophylaxis to stop mother-to-child transmission.
The centre also championed the introduction of universal antiretroviral therapy, also known as treatment as prevention.
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Research counsellor Caroline Mugocha said the UZ-CTRC remained focused on testing the latest prevention technologies to reduce new HIV infections.
“We are currently evaluating the use of monoclonal antibodies to prevent HIV infection in both adults and infants. We are also testing HIV vaccine candidates identified by researchers in Africa and around the world,” she said.
She said the centre’s close collaboration with the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) made it possible for new prevention products to be registered quickly.
“Our partnership with MCAZ during clinical trials allowed Zimbabwe to be the first African country to approve these products,” she said.
As UZ-CTRC continues its pioneering research, the centre remains committed to supporting Zimbabwe’s efforts to end HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
