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The University of KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa, in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
Maryland, United States, has constructed the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute
for TB and HIV (K-Rith), a $40 million research institute to find better
treatments for HIV and TB.
South Africa has the third-highest
TB burden in the world and the fifth-highest number of patients with
drug-resistant TB. Also, the province of KwaZulu-Natal was hit worst by HIV,
and the Eastern Cape has also been struggling with drug-resistant TB.
K-Rith, located on the grounds of
the university’s Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, is outfitted with
state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. According to professor Phil Bishai,
founding director of K-Rith, eight investigating scientists out of 10 were
recruited to work in the institute and would be supported by clinical-studies
support groups specializing in microbiology, immunology, and pharmacology.
Dennis McKearin, Howard Hughes
Medical Institute science officer, commented that the project was important as
there was less research funding for TB than for many other diseases. Bishai
noted that TB diagnostic methods are over 100 years old and the vaccines over
90 years old, so new tools and diagnostic measures are needed. He believed that
the scientists and new technology at K-Rith hold the keys to new discoveries.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
