2007 marked the 20th anniversary of Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP). Please take a look at the history of our program. In coming years, RHSP will become more involved in research on malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases that affect a large portion of the Rakai population.
Time Magazine ranked male circumcision (MC) for HIV prevention as No. 1 medical breakthrough of 2007. RHSP as well as a team from Kisumu, Kenya were involved in separate randomized trials of male circumcisions which proved that the procedure is more than 50% effective in preventing HIV acquisition in men. Rakai Program investigators published a paper in The Lancet in February 2007 about their findings. Read more…
Rakai Health Sciences Program investigators attended the 15th Conference on Retrovirus and Opportunistic Infections in Boston between February 3rd and 5th, 2008 where they presented their recent research findings. Here is a list of seven abstracts our team presented: A Population-Based Approach to Understanding a Very Clever Virus: A Brief History of HIV Research and Services in the Rakai Health Sciences Program, Uganda (Serwadda et al) Trial of Male Circumcision in HIV+ Men, Rakai, Uganda: Effects in HIV+ Men and in Women Partners (Wawer et al) Trial of Male Circumcision: Prevention of HSV-2 in Men and Vaginal Infections in Female Partners, Rakai, Uganda (Tobian et al) Heterosexually Transmitted Viruses in Uganda Possess Signature Envelope Genotypes (Sagar et al) The Association of Sexual Risk Behavior and Infection with Multiple or Recombinant Strains of HIV in Rakai, Uganda (Laeyendecker et al) HIV+ Long-term Non-progressors in Rakai, Uganda (Laeyendecker et al) Foreskin Langerhans' Cell Density of HIV Infected and Unifected Men in Rakai, Uganda (Johnson et al)
Read more... Established in 1988 as the Rakai Project, the program changed its name in 2004 to Rakai Health Sciences Program. This is a result of increased and diversified activities taking place under the program umbrella. In its initial years, the program focused on HIV/AIDS research in the community, including evaluation of health education and condom promotion. Over the years, activities have increased both in nature and volume. While not losing sight of the community-based approach to HIV epidemiology and prevention, major areas of activity have expanded to include: Laboratory and clinical research Randomized trials of new prevention strategies Health professional training Expanded community services including HIV voluntary testing and counseling, provision of HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART), general and HIV-related medical care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, family planning services, prevention of cervical cancer, and specialized services for adolescents
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