Science Speaks Highlights Intersections of Policies and Pathogens

From affordable drug pricing, to linked testing and prevention services and prioritizing proven treatments, public health policies can make all the difference in stemming the spread of infectious diseases, IDSA’s global Science Speaks blog highlighted this month.

In the U.S, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found the high price of prescription drugs continues to put consistent and effective medicines out of reach for an estimated 7% of people living with HIV – leading to more hospitalizations and reduced rates of viral suppression. Worldwide, a study reported in Clinical Infectious Diseases showed failures to link HIV care with testing, vaccines and treatment for hepatitis B allow rates of the virus among people living with HIV that are more than double those across the general population.

On the good news front, South Africa’s decision to replace toxic injectable medicines with a proven oral medicine led to higher rates of successful treatment, results, and contributed to revised World Health Organization TB treatment recommendations that all countries follow suit.