Preventing HIV Infection in Developing Countries

Unit Code

01770

Department/Institution Offering Unit

Professor Roger V. Short
The Dean's Ganglion
Level 4, 766 Elizabeth Street
University of Melbourne
Parkville Victoria 3010

web: www.rch.org.au/cah
www.aids.net.au

Unit Points

Research Points: 87.5

Coursework Points: 12.5

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Contacts

Unit Coordinator/s:

Professor Roger V. Short
The Dean's Ganglion
Level 4, 766 Elizabeth Street
University of Melbourne
Parkville Victoria 3010

email: r.short@unimelb.edu.au

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Overall Objectives

HIV/AIDS is the greatest health crisis ever to face humankind. With 40 million people currently infected, 5 million new infections a year, and 3 million deaths, the pandemic continues to worsen. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most severely affected region, followed by India. Those most at risk are the poorest of the poor, living on under $1 a day. There is no cure, no vaccine, and antiretroviral therapy, which can have dramatic benefits in the short term, will inevitably fail because of drug resistance or adverse side effects of the treatment. So prevention is the simplest, cheapest and best way of containing the pandemic. We have developed a number of simple preventative strategies which are being trialled in Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa and Thailand and need to be tested elsewhere. They include intravaginal lime or lemon juice as a microbicide, male circumcision, the oral contraceptive pill taken vaginally, post-coital penile hygiene, and adolescent peer-group sex education. Full details can be found on our website, www.aids.net.au

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Content

Coursework: Either Intermediate Epidemiology and Biostatistics OR Qualitative Health Research. In addition a thorough understanding of the epidemiology of HIV will be required.

Research: The Research will be undertaken in developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, South America or the Caribbean where the problem is greatest. Closest to home, Papua New Guinea has a major problem.

Sample Research Topics:

1. Use of PhotoVoice technique for school peer group sex education, as pioneered successfully by Modise Modise in his AMS project in Botswana.
2. Assist in ongoing clinical trials of lime juice as a vaginal mircobicide in Thailand.

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Assessment Breakdown

Research Component: 87.5 points
Research Report (up to 10,000 words): 80%
Oral presentation: 20%

Coursework Component: 12.5 points
Intermediate Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Qualitative Health Research will be assessed as per the subject descriptions.

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Student Numbers

Number of places available:
5