There are currently 26.6 million people stricken with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a United Nations study. Richard Marlink is trying to do something about it.
Marlink, the executive director of the Harvard AIDS Institute in Boston, came to Penn yesterday to speak with students and faculty about the current HIV epidemic in Africa. His presentation, entitled "Access to HIV Care and Treatment in Africa: How Do We Help as Researchers and Clinicians?" gave insight into what seemed to be a distant topic for many members of the University community.
A portion of his presentation was also linked by video feed to Tulane University, where members of a similar group had a chance to pose questions to the speaker after the presentation.
Marlink has - with the assistance of several universities, including Penn - implemented HIV vaccination programs in five countries in Africa. The program with the most focus is that in Botswana, where another U.N. survey indicates between 20 and 36 percent of people living in the southern African country are afflicted with the virus.
There, he and his colleagues created an HIV Reference Laboratory that assists in research and treatment of patients in need of medical care. The Harvard AIDS Institute was also instrumental in the creation of the first nationally funded AIDS research program in Africa.
"Our mission is to create an organization dedicated to conducting and catalyzing research to end the worldwide AIDS epidemic," Marlink said. Marlink graduated from the University of New Mexico's medical school, after which he went on to study hematology and oncology in Boston. This led him to a trip to Africa, where he first became acquainted with the HIV/AIDS epidemic there.
"I didn't have much background on the situation in Africa, but this trip was eye-opening," he said.
Marlink started working as a researcher for the Harvard AIDS Institute at its inception in 1988, and he went on to become the director in 1992. Marlink explained the goals of his presentation and of the institute. "We are trying to get closer ties with people across the country in order to figure out our common strengths in fighting this battle." He also offered solutions as to what people in local communities could do to help solve this problem.
"What we need to do is research locally, educate each other, advocate to take health and health care seriously and commit to the health of Africa."
