Scientists may be close to a cure for HIV/AIDS

Scientists may be one step closer to developing a cure for HIV, research has suggested.

An injection may soon be available that prevents the virus spreading and could rid sufferers of the infection, a study implies.

Researchers from multiple institutions, including Texas A&M University, injected cows with HIV, all of which developed an immune response within as little as 35 days, a study found.

When the immune cells of the cows were analyzed, one in particular was found to bind to a key site on HIV that the virus uses to spread infection, the research adds.

The researchers believe that such immune cells could be incorporated into an injection to neutralize HIV in infected humans.

Currently, there is no cure for HIV, with patients usually being required to take lifelong medication that causes nausea, diarrhea and insomnia. 

HIV/AIDS is now number two on the list for deaths in Africa and it took an estimated 760,000 lives in 2015.

This is lower from the estimated one million deaths in 2010 from the disease. 

Efforts have been made to lower the death rates by increasing preventive and educational methods across the continent.

But HIV/AIDS still plagues people living in Africa and around the world.

Third on the list was diseases, which are caused by viral, bacterial or parasitic infections in the bowels.

This is also the second leading cause of death in children under five across the world and in Africa, according to World Health Organization. 

These infections are caused by dirty and unsafe water, poor hygiene, bad sanitation around where people are living and eating. 

Fourth on the list were people dying from strokes, which has increased since 2010. 

A stroke is caused when the blood flow to the brain is stopped or reduced.

Brain cells are not able to get enough oxygen and nutrients so they begin to die. 

Heart attacks are fifth on the list and have pushed malaria out of the top five for the first time in years.

Most of the above diseases are preventable with with sufficient funding and access to better care. 

Countries in Africa, though, continue to be plagued with poverty that has affected residents ability to get the care needed to treat these diseases.

But poverty levels have been improving in Africa since 1990. 

In 2012, only 43 percent of the population lived in poverty compared to 56 percent in 1990, according to World Bank.

(c) Christian voice newspaper