Editor's note

HIV remains a global health challenge - more than 25 million people have died from the disease and another 36 million people live with it. To mark World Aids Day, several academics reflect on the progress that’s been made to reduce the burden. As Thumbi Ndung'u explains, this includes scientific innovations such as cutting-edge research in Africa that’s giving hope that a vaccine will be developed. And new approaches to vaccine development, which Penny Moore and Lynn Morris unpack.

But huge problems remain. One of them is stigma which continues to prevent people from getting tested, and from sticking to their drug regimens, as Linda-Gail Bekker explains.

Candice Bailey

Health + Medicine Editor

Top story

Designer proteins: the new generation of HIV vaccines being put to the test

Penny Moore, University of the Witwatersrand; Lynn Morris, University of the Witwatersrand

Three new HIV vaccine concepts which rely on high-tech designer proteins have been developed and will be trialled to see how well they control the virus.

Four big insights into HIV/AIDS that provide hope of finding a vaccine

Thumbi Ndung'u, University of KwaZulu-Natal

To get an effective vaccine for HIV/AIDS, scientists need to understand exactly how the virus works and how the immune system responds to it. African scientists have come one step closer.

Innovations

HIV cells (in red) attacking an organism. Shutterstock

We have designed a tool to track HIV infection rates cheaply and accurately

Sikhulile Moyo, Harvard University

Understanding where there are high numbers of new HIV infections is important to establishing whether interventions are working or not.

Issues

Shutterstock

Three decades on, stigma still stymies HIV prevention and treatment

Linda-Gail Bekker, University of Cape Town

Stigma stops people from getting tested for HIV, and staying on their treatment. Unless it's addressed, the AIDS epidemic will persist.