New Brunswick, N.J. (Nov. 20, 2018) — Marking the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, Rutgers expert Richard Marlink is available to discuss the evolution of HIV/AIDS treatment and outcomes since the epidemic was identified in 1981.
Marlink, an oncologist, treated some of the earliest HIV/AIDS patients at the former St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York and was instrumental in establishing the first HIV/AIDS clinic in Boston. He has more than 30 years of experience in implementing HIV/AIDS research, training and clinical-care programs in developing countries. He is the director of Rutgers Global Health Institute and the inaugural Henry Rutgers Professor of Global Health at Rutgers.
Globally, nearly 37 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, which is responsible for about one million deaths per year. While life-saving treatments are available, many people lack access to testing and treatment, and infections are rising in young women. There is neither a vaccine nor a cure.
“A disease that once brought a death sentence can now be suppressed for years, even decades, with antiretroviral drugs and that represents significant progress, but we risk losing the fight if we consider that a success,” Marlink said. “Those who are infected – including more than two million children – are infected for life with a virus that compromises their immune systems. What we need most urgently is to fully fund the international HIV/AIDS treatment effort and prioritize vaccine development. Without a vaccine, this epidemic will never be eradicated.”
Marlink is available by contacting Lara De Meo Hoyt, 848-932-5827, [email protected].
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