On November 26, 2018, IRESSEF had the honor and the pleasure of welcoming Professor Salim Safurdeen Abdool Karim.
Teacher. Salim Abdool Karim is a South African epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist. He is widely recognized for his contributions to research on HIV prevention and treatment. He is Director of CAPRISA and Vice-Chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. He is also Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, and Associate Member of the Ragon Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts. Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. Prof. Abdool Karim is a member of the WHO Expert Advisory Group on STIs and HIV, a member of the PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board and a member of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise Strategic Advisory Board.
His contributions to microbicides for HIV prevention span two decades, including the tenofovir gel CAPRISA 004 trial, which has proven beyond doubt that antiretrovirals can prevent HIV and HIV infection. herpes simplex type 2 in women.
As a co-inventor of the patent, he participated in the development of clade C HIV vaccines and then led the first trial of HIV vaccine in South Africa. His clinical research on the treatment of tuberculosis and HIV has influenced the clinical management of co-infected patients and continues to educate him.
In the premises of Iressef, Professor Salim Abdool Kareem presents the South African model of the fight against HIV
After a guided tour of the premises of IRESSEF, he was received by his friend Professor Souleymane Mboup before he gives a presentation. During his presentation “A Decade of Discovery, Chronology of CAPRISA’s research: 2010 – 2018”, he wanted to show how CAPRISA’s research has had an impact on the management of HIV infection. Following his presentation, he opened himself to a series of questions. He gave his opinion on how to make an institution such as IRESSEF sustainable.
According to him, IRESSEF has to identify and define its research priorities like CAPRISA which has set itself the objective of answering two questions.
One is to help limit or stop HIV transmission and the other to reduce HIV-related deaths.
Teacher. Salim Abdool Karim received by his friend Professor Souleymane Mboup
Having defined its priorities, IRESSEF would be better off building strong partnerships with major universities and research teams, recruiting senior researchers and, above all, training its young people in the best institutions (Example: NIH Fogarty program) that will become the future. investigators so they can each develop their own teams and earn funds to fund their research and run the institute.