A University of Malawi student, Godfrey Chingolo, has been cleared of all charges related to the alleged sale and promotion of a drug purported to cure HIV/AIDS after both the Magistrate Court and the High Court found the prosecution’s case to be unsupported by expert evidence.

Chingolo was arrested in 2024 by Zomba Police on allegations that he was trading in a substance known as Gomora and advertising it on WhatsApp and other social media platforms as a cure for HIV/AIDS. Police confiscated his mobile phone on suspicion that it was being used to promote the drug.

Following his arrest, Chingolo was charged with five counts before the Senior Resident Magistrate Court. The charges included selling medicines with misleading information, making false or misleading statements in connection with any medicine, obtaining money by false pretences, conspiracy to defraud, and advertising medicines without approval, all allegedly committed between January and May 2024.

During trial, the State called only one witness, who testified that Chingolo operated WhatsApp forums where he allegedly advertised Gomora as a cure for HIV/AIDS. The witness tendered a smartphone, screenshots of WhatsApp conversations, and a parcel containing drugs allegedly collected by the accused from a courier service.

However, under cross-examination, the witness conceded that he was not a medical expert, could not identify the nature of the drug presented in court, and was unaware whether the substance cured HIV/AIDS or whether HIV/AIDS has no cure.

He further confirmed that samples of the alleged drug had been sent for analysis, but results were not available at the time of trial.

The Ministry of Health has sought to reassure people living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi, emphasizing that the country has a stable and sufficient supply of antiretroviral (ARV) medication.

This comes in response to concerns raised by the recent announcement from the American government regarding a review of its aid to Malawi and other nations, which sparked fears among those dependent on ARV treatment.

In a press release signed by Dr. Samson Mdolo, the Ministry’s Secretary, it was confirmed that there are ample stocks of ARV drugs, test kits, and other critical health supplies. Additionally, all health facilities across the country have been equipped to ensure there is no disruption to services.

This reassurance aims to ease the anxiety of the over 900,000 people living with HIV in Malawi who rely on ARVs, ensuring that their treatment will continue uninterrupted.

Condoms in Malawi have been the most useful protection method of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sex- related transmission diseases.

Recently, it was reported that some people in Likoma District went so desperate as they were using plastic papers for sex especially when condoms are missing in the district.

But this opposite to what is happening in lower Shire areas especially in Nsanje Mbenje Chiefdom as children are using these condoms to make balls and play with them.

This has come to light when a young businessman in the state, Mr. Charles Jingini, has established a trophy for fishermen worth K600,000 in the area.

“I believe that if could have enough money, I’ll buy real footballs and distribute them to children like this so that they can use them,” said Jigini.

Source:Times360Malawi

Reports have revealed that the country is facing hiccups in the fight against new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) among adolescent girls and youth.

The revelation was made during an interface meeting between Youths and Adolescent Girls and young women (AGYW) in Salima district.

According to Judith Msusa, Director of Youths in the Ministry of Youth and Sport, youths in the country are still facing challenges.

Lack of basic needs and unemployment are among of the factors attributing girls and the youth to engage in promiscuous behaviors leading to new infections of the virus.

Meanwhile, representative for Youths and AGYW under the Malawi Global Fund country coordinating mechanism Cecilia Chivunga said the meeting serves as a platform for youths  to identify key issues to prioritize in the New Funding Model 4 to be implemented from February next year.

Castel Malawi has yesterday donated k2.5 million in support of National Aids Commission (NAC) towards World Aids Day (WAD).

The brewer’s human resource and corporate affairs director, Gloria Zimba, said despite the donation, but every health person is more important for the company’s.

According to Commissioner Maclan Kankhomba, the money for HIV/AIDS awareness will be used in other activities.

WAD is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.

The Global Director of Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA), David Hoos, has appreciated the Malawi government for the good development of achieving the 95 Percent target of diagnosing all HIV positive individuals in the country.

According to the survey done by the Malawi Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (MPHIA), 87.3 Percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the country are viral dominant indicating good progress of managing the disease.

The aim of 95:95:95 targets was of providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 95% of those diagnosed and achieving viral suppression for 95% of those treated by 2030.

PHIA conducts surveys in countries to estimates HIV incidence and prevalence, the prevalence of viral load suppression, and measures progress towards as well as help to refocus resources where needed.

According to healthline Warning Signs of HIV/AIDS in Men, Created by a News Portal May 8, 2022 12:06 PM

Do you know that there are HIV symptoms that only men experience?

When the HIV virus progresses inside a man’s body and the immune system begins to fail, he may exhibit various symptoms.

In light of a recent post on WebMD, we will examine some of the warning symptoms of HIV in men that should not be ignored.

Relax and take in this article while you gain some valuable information.

Exactly how Do Males Show HIV/AIDS?

Genital sores — if you haven’t been using protection and you’ve been intimate with someone you don’t know, and you start to experience pain or a wound in your genitalia, this could be an indication that you’ve contracted the disease.

Researchers have found that painful open sores everywhere on the body, including the mouth, genitalia, and genitalia, are common symptoms of HIV.

Second, a lack of testosterone in the balls causes a lack of desire for s3xual contact, which is linked to HIV as well.

If you suspect you have the virus because you feel less of a need to mate, you may need to get tested at a clinic or hospital.

Having a burning sensation when urinating is not always an indicator of HIV, but it is of Gonorrhea or Chlamydia, both of which are associated with irresponsible s3xual behavior and so increase the risk of infection with HIV.

Lymph node enlargement; this can occur anywhere from the armpit to the groin.

The fact that this ailment affects people of both sexes makes it all the more important to highlight.

Rapid and widespread enlargement of lymph nodes may be a symptom of HIV infection.

It’s smart to get checked so you can be sure of your health.

Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) will soon launch an HIV and AIDS prevention and sexual reproductive health rights promotion project which is aims at increasing awareness of human rights as well as addressing structural barriers.

Director of Civil and Political rights, Peter Chisi said the project will make more people to know about their rights, especially sex workers.

Chisi said, “More sex workers in our communities are being abused like being beaten, not being paid and even sexual harassment but they find it hard to report their issues, hence need the programme.”

Lilongwe District Principal Nutrition and HIV AIDS Officer George Mtengowadula encouraged the MHRC to engage targeted people for the project to achieve its desired outcome.

“The project has a high chance if it engage other partners and it can have quality results,” said George

The project will be conducted in two months from October to December, and is being funded by United Nations Programmes on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

The targeted households of Lilongwe, Tradition Authority Kabudula are women, religious leaders, young people and traditional leaders.

Infants may experience symptoms like inadequate weight gain, intermittent diarrhoea, and pneumonia.

Later, symptoms may include a broad array of health conditions, depending on the intensity of the HIV.

The source of HIV spread in children is usually the parent who has birthed them.

Exposure to the virus may happen in the womb, during childbirth, or when breastfeeding.

Treatment of HIV in infants and children is the same as for adults with HIV, that is treatment is received through antiretroviral therapy (ART).

If an infant has an intense case of HIV, the risk of death within the first few months is high even with treatment.

Afterwards, the chance of death lowers quickly, and the long-term risk is low.

Lessons must be learned from COVID-19 as a new HIV vaccine trial starts this month, writes Ifeanyi M. Nsofor.

More than 60 years after HIV was first identified in what is now Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first clinical trial of an mRNA HIV vaccine will begin in the United States this month.

Moderna, the manufacturer of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, is part of the team conducting the trial by deploying the same messenger RNA (mRN) technology used in the Moderna vaccine. This is an important trial because it could save millions of lives.

The trial is expected to start this month (15 October) and end in April 2023. It involves 56 HIV-negative participants aged 18 to 56.

How mRNA vaccine works

The mRNA vaccine teaches human cells to fight infections. The mRNA arms our immune system to make specific proteins. In the case of COVID-19, the mRNA teaches the immune system to produce spikes, similar to those on the COVID virus. These harmless spikes give our immune system the information needed to quickly detect a coronavirus infection and produce the appropriate antibodies.

The new antibodies respond once the COVID virus enters the body. They attach themselves to the virus, protecting our cells and rendering the spikes on the virus useless.

“Deploying mRNA technology to fight HIV is imperative to prevent deaths and sufferings. A new vaccine would be a game-changer.” – Ifeanyi M. Nsofor

MRNA vaccines are not harmful to the body. They don’t change your DNA or stay in your body. They give your immune system instructions on how to fend off COVID-19, then disappear like a Snapchat message, according to Tom Frieden, president of the global health initiative Resolve to Save Lives and former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why HIV vaccine needed

Although HIV is not a pandemic, it is an epidemic in several countries. According to UNAIDS, there were 38 million people living with HIV in 2020 This is more than the population of Canada. Eastern and Southern Africa have the highest HIV rate at 6.7 per cent, followed by Central and Western Africa with a prevalence of 1.4 per cent. Central Europe and North America have the lowest rate, at 0.2 per cent. Globally, there were around 1.5 million new HIV infections in 2020, with around 680 000 deaths. It is clear that HIV is a major global health issue.

Deploying mRNA technology to fight HIV is imperative to prevent deaths and suffering. A new vaccine would be a game-changer. However, international cooperation and solidarity are necessary. More so, COVID-19 has shown that a global problem requires a global solution. The world is interconnected, and infectious diseases do not respect borders.

However, the selfishness of richer Western nations in hoarding COVID-19 vaccines should not be repeated in managing the eventual rollout of an HIV vaccine. We should not have a repeat of wealthy countries caring for just their citizens to the detriment of other countries.

Equity in HIV vaccine research

There must be equity in enrollment into HIV vaccine trials, procurement and distribution of a safe and efficacious vaccine. A 2020 scoping review on engagement of racial and ethnic minorities in HIV treatment and vaccine clinical trials showed that despite the knowledge of how to better recruit racial and ethnic minorities, few interventions have been documented using these strategies.

It is important to decentralise the clinical trial to take place in different regions simultaneously. Doing so would ensure that the findings of the trial are generalisable.

“To achieve success, multi-sectoral teams, including traditional institutions, governments, religious leaders, communities and private sector actors must be assembled.” -Ifeanyi M. Nsofor

Specifically, I would like to see HIV vaccine clinical trials in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moderna should work with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention through the African Union because Africa bears the brunt of the HIV epidemic. If the HIV vaccine turns out to be safe and efficacious, the African continent would require a significant proportion of the vaccine. Therefore, Africans must be enrolled in the clinical trial.

Production of a safe and effective HIV vaccine must also be decentralised. By the time an HIV vaccine is ready for production, there would be opportunities for local manufacture in Africa.

For instance, on 23 April 2021, Felix Tshisekedi, chair of the African Union and president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, launched the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing. Afterwards, several memoranda of understanding were signed for vaccine manufacturing in Egypt, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa. Other African Union platforms to leverage include the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team and Africa Medical Supplies Platform. Both platforms would help with pre-ordering, supply and logistics of an HIV vaccine.

Lessons from COVID-19 vaccines

Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization reported an infodemic. This is an excessive amount of misinformation and disinformation which makes response to the pandemic very difficult. To avoid this problem with the HIV vaccination, it is important for national health authorities to start early and be proactive about developing the right messaging. Such messaging must counter misinformation, disinformation and fake news. It must forecast the kinds of questions people may have or opposition to the vaccine.

To achieve success, multi-sectoral teams, including traditional institutions, governments, religious leaders, communities and private sector actors must be assembled. They must go beyond just involving epidemiologists and scientists.

The messaging should be deployed via multiple platforms: social media, radio, TV, village town criers, religious institutions, schools and contextually relevant platforms. No sector should be left behind. They are all important.The private sector especially has played key roles in the COVID-19 response and should be involved in HIV programming and, in particular, efforts to scale up HIV vaccine production and administration.

For example, Nigeria’s private sector coalition against COVID-19 and South Africa’s Solidarity Fund have raised more than US$72 million and US$220 million respectively. These funds have supported COVID-19 prevention, testing, treatment, vaccination and social support in both countries. Beyond fundraising, the private sector has capacities in vaccine production, storage, distribution and logistics.

We have an opportunity to develop a vaccine to prevent an infectious disease, which disproportionately affects poor people across Africa. Applying the lessons from the COVID-19 response is imperative. It is a matter of life and death.

Ifeanyi M. Nsofor, is a public health physician, a graduate of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the CEO of EpiAFRIC. He is a Senior New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute, Senior Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity at the George Washington University and an Innovation Fellow at PandemicTech. You can follow Nsofor on Twitter @ekemma

A pastor in Nyamira County, Kenya allegedly killed his wife before committing suicide in an incident that has left many locals shocked.

Pastor George Abisa in a suicidal letter obtained by local media alleged that his wife had infected him with HIV/AIDS following her affair with a local politician currently campaigning for Bogichora MCA seat.

It was gathered that on Tuesday evening, October 5, the couple indulged in a heated argument over the matter after rumours surfaced of the wife’s alleged secret affair with the politician.

He got angry and picked a knife which he used to stab her several times until she died.

“He questioned her over the rumours that were going around about the alleged affair with the politician before stabbing her with a kitchen knife,” Hellen Moraa a local stated.

Soon after killing his wife, he penned a sad suicide note claiming that his wife was cheating on him. He said that she had even infected him with HIV something which he could not withstand at all.

He thereafter took his own life by hanging himself in their house. In the morning, police officers were called by concerned neighbors to check on the couple .

They were shocked to find the couple already dead with the letter on their table. The bodies have been taken to Nyamira county hospital.

HIV/AIDS is one of the most feared viral sicknesses inside the global.

This is because the sickness has no remedy until date. Once someone is infected with HIV Virus, they’ll generally tend to stay nice during their lives. The best way to realize for positive whether or not you have HIV is to get examined.

Knowing your HIV fame allows you are making healthful picks to prevent getting or transmitting HIV.

The maximum commonplace method of transmission is thru unprotected intercourse. It is normally correct for new couples to head for HIV attempting out before turning into intimate.

HIV can also be transmitted via sharing of sharp items at the side of syringes, razor blades and circumcision knives with inflamed humans.

After exposure, the general public do not display any signs and symptoms and signs and symptoms. However, most of the people begin to reveal

Flu Like symptoms inside to 6 weeks after contamination. HIV check most accurate after HIV publicity is examined among three months to six months after exposure. These effects can be more accurate.

In the said report, a user bearing the name Ruth James took to her Facebook page to issue the threats in what looks like a revenge mission.

“I want to expose everyone I have given HIV,” posted Ruth on Tuesday morning via her Facebook account that has over 40,000 followers.

At a point, it looked as though she was only being mischievous after she disclosed that she’s sure the men on her friend’s list have already started dying out in anxiety, adding that she has infected close to 100 men already.

“Itugona. Chuo 100 mar facebook dwa thoo gi stress,” she posted in her local dialect. (You are joking with me. 100 men on Facebook are so much stressed up and will die soon.) her post read.

In this new development, Ruth has carried out her threat after a fresh update on her page on Twitter shows photos of the men she has banged.

Former Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko, also retweeted the post showing the faces of the men that Ruth has reportedly infected and advised them to start taking ARVs.

See below;

Kama wewe ni mtu wa kupenda dry fry basi sema kimeumana. A lady by the name Ruth James has vowed to name men she's infected with HIV. pic.twitter.com/08a5qGiFPh

— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) August 4, 2021

Speaking bitterly through her Facebook page, Ruth claimed she has infected countless number of men willingly and she has all the names. In one of the posts, she said;

“I want to expose everyone i have given HIV” pic.twitter.com/ppk6dtH6b5

— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) August 4, 2021

The lady has been living in Nyayo Estate for more than 5 years. She claims that the number of men she has infected with HIV is shocking—over 500. Some of the men are married with stable families. pic.twitter.com/S0BxrJB6EW

— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) August 4, 2021

For the past three decades, HIV has has been a deadly virus. People do refer to it as weapon of mans destruction.

According to statistic, 37 million people is living with HIV globally. in 2018 the estimated death rate was 770,000 and over 44 million people has been killed since the emergence of the virus

In 1984, Dr. Robert Gallo gained worldwide fame when he co-discovered that HIV was the cause of AIDS and later developed the HIV blood test.

Now, a Facebook post says Gallo confessed that he was “forced to create the HIV virus as a secret weapon to wipe out the African race.” which gallo denied the allegations.

The Anti News Network reported that Dr. Robert Gallo, who played a major role in the landmark discovery of the link between human immunodeficiency virus (better known by as the acronym HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (or AIDS), had confessed to “inventing” the virus as part of a plot to depopulate the world.

Dr. Robert Gallo, the scientist credited with ‘discovering’ the HIV virus in 1984, has admitted that he created AIDS in order to reduce the world’s population

President Donald Trump has announced plans to rid the US of new transmissions of HIV by the year 2030.

He made this known during his 2019 State of the Union address.

US President Donald Trump

Government scientist have been working for months on ways to prevent spread of the disease by working to provide better treatment for those already infected.

“In recent years we have made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS,” Trump told the nation.

“Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach. My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years.”

“Together, we will defeat AIDS in America and beyond,” the president said.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex Azar II, described the project’s goals by stating that if the plan succeeds, the United States will, “become a country where the spread of HIV has been effectively halted, because every American with HIV/AIDS is receiving treatment and every American at risk for HIV is engaged in the right, proven prevention strategy,” Azar said.

There is an ongoing awareness on HIV/AIDS across the world to sensitive people about knowing their status and taking appropriate measures to stay safe.

The family of four displaying their HIV status

This viral photo was shared online recently by a family. The woman is HIV+ while the husband and the children are negative to the deadly virus.

The World Health Organization has constantly advised people to regularly check their HIV status for the betterment of their health and future.

As countries all over the world are busy finding ways and means dealing with the wide spread of HIV and AIDs, South African Medicines Control Council have approved a pill called Truvada to help in the prevention of disease.

According to Times Live of South Africa, the council approved the drug at a recent November meeting.

The paper says the drug is already used in combination with another antiretroviral (ARV) as treatment for HIV‚ but has not been licensed legally for prevention.

The drug which prevents HIV works up to 100% of the time if taken daily was approved as prevention by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2012.

The prevention pill has faced opposition in the US from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation which said it encouraged gay men to become promiscuous. The foundation called the gay men who used the drug “Truvada Whores”. The same foundation flew to South Africa to campaign against the drug at the Durban June Aids conference saying Africans would not take it properly.

According to the paper, Deputy Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Professor Linda Gail Bekker has campaigned for the licensing of the drug because she says it is cheaper and better to prevent HIV infection especially in high risk groups such as young women‚ sex workers and gay and bisexual men.

The drug is not freely available as prevention in the state sector. It is also not clear yet‚ if medical aids will pay for its use as prevention in high risk individuals.

Truvada has been used in South Africa with doctors prescribing it ” off label” for use as prevention but now that it is legally registered for prevention‚ it would be easier to prescribe to more people at high risk of HIV.

Two trials‚ one French and one in Britain‚ tested the drug with gay men using it “on demand” when they had sex. Both trials‚ PROUD and Ipergay‚ were stopped early last year.

This was because the trials showed the pills to be so effective in preventing HIV even when only taken four times weekly that it became unethical to continue the trials. In a trial‚ one group gets a placebo (sugar pill) while another group gets the real drug.

As countries across the World including Malawi are busy fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, a female student at Kabarak University in Nakuru, Kenya has confessed to have deliberately infected 324 people with HIV.

According to the Kenyan Daily Post, the 19 old (name withheld) says she has set her target for at least 2,000 men acting in revenge after she was infected by a man at a party.

The girl allegedly contacted Kenyan Scandals on Facebook and claimed she had something to confess.

After she was assured her identity was going to be protected (the Kenyan Daily Post, however, published a picture from her Facebook profile along with the article) she wrote: “Sep 22nd 2013 is a day I”ll never forget, we went clubbing in town and got drunk with some senior students then went back hostels for party round 2″.

She then explained that when she woke up, the morning after, she realized a boy called Javan had had sex with her while she was drunk.

“I only asked if he used a condom and he said yes, however when taking bath I noticed sperms down there, I wanted to commit suicide, I feared getting pregnant and HIV.”

When she discovered she was HIV positive, the girl confronted Javan who insisted he was clean.

“I was so depressed and took alcohol to die, I even bought poison, the pain was just unbearable how was I gone face the world, I let my parents down, I gave up on the world and just wanted to end my life. My future had been ruined, somehow someone had to pay,” the girl said.

“I accepted my fate and promised to make all men I come across suffer, I know I’m attractive and men both married and unmarried chase me left right and center.

“I buried the good girl in me and became the bad girl, my goal was to infect as many as possible,” she explained.

The girl then confessed she had already infected 324 men, 156 of which are students at the Kabarak University where she studies, the rest are married men, lecturers, lawyers, celebrities and politicians.

“Not a day passes without me having sex, mostly 4 people per day,” she continued in her confession.

“Nothing will stop me from accomplishing my mission by continuing to sleep around, you never know but maybe you have slept with me or your husband, boyfriend, brother, father or any has slept with me.

“Your day is coming, you men destroyed my life and I will make you and your people pay for it,” the girl concluded.
The authenticity of the report could not be confirmed.

After the Kenyan Daily Post reported the news, someone made an anonymous comment claiming he knows the girl and he has had intercourse with her. (Source-Kenyan Daily Post)