Project Title

Development and evaluation of high throughput, cheap and reliable assays for monitoring HIV-1 and HIV-2 viral loads in ARV programmes and clinical trials in developing countries

EDCTP Project Call

Senior Fellowship (SF)

Project Objectives

To develop robust and affordable in-house virus load assays for quantifying HIV-1 and HIV-2 RNA in the blood of an infected individual; with similar sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility to currently available commercial HIV viral load assays. A secondary objective is to train scientists in the West Africa sub-region to encourage a wider use of the assay

Study Design

Laboratory assay development and validation

Project Summary

Both HIV-1 and HIV-2 are present in Gambia as in other West African countries and Cameroon. As at the time of my fellowship (and even now to the best of my knowledge) there was no commercial HIV-2 assay for treatment monitoring in HIV-2 infected patients. To address the urgent need, I led the effort (through my EDCTP Senior Fellowship) to develop, validate and implement an in-house viral load assay for both HIV-1 and HIV-2. I conducted two workshops in Banjul and Nairobi (KEMRI) where I trained scientists from West/Central Africa and East/Southern Africa respectively. My assay continued to be used at the MRC Gambia for many years after I left until the MRC HIV programme was closed at the height of the controversial claim of HIV cure by the then Gambian President AJJ Jammeh.

Host Organisation

Results & Outcomes

Current Organisation

Center of Medical Research Lambaréné (CERMEL)

Current Job Title

Senior Biologist

Biography

Publications