Business
Global Leaders in Perinatal HIV Prevention and Treatment Strategies Implementing MedMira Rapid HIV Test in Soweto
Global Leaders in Perinatal HIV Prevention and Treatment Strategies Implementing MedMira Rapid HI...
About this update from Medmira Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\n Jun. 17, 2010 (Canada NewsWire Group) -- MedMira Inc., ("MedMira") (TSX Venture: MIR, NASDAQ: MMIRF), a developer of rapid diagnostic technology and solutions, announced today that its Reveal Rapid HIV Antibody Test (Reveal HIV) is being utilised at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) in Soweto, a township of 2 million people on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa, with an HIV prevalence rate of 11%. MedMira's strategic business development partner in Africa, Vitest AG, has been working with the PHRU team for past several months to integrate Reveal HIV into its prevention initiatives.\n"Testing is a central component of the PHRU's prevention and treatment strategies and a high speed, quality rapid test will increase their efficiency as they expand the programs to test greater numbers of people," said Nicholas Dellaportas, Director of International Business Development and Sales, Vitest AG. "Reveal HIV has proven itself to be an excellent point of care HIV test for the PHRUs programs, delivering highly accurate results within 3 minutes."\nThe PHRU, affiliated with University of Witwatersrand and based on the campus of the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the largest acute care hospital in the world, is on the forefront of pioneering research and implementation of HIV prevention and treatment strategies. The PHRU offers the people of Soweto access to HIV screening, preventative services, education, and support. The PHRU are currently scaling up testing and prevention initiatives through the expansion of mobile testing clinics and male circumcision programs.\n"We are very pleased to be working with the team at PHRU, global leaders in the HIV/AIDS sector, to support their prevention and testing initiatives with a quality rapid HIV test," said Hermes Chan, CEO, MedMira Inc. "Our two organizations share the belief that testing is a critical component in halting the growth of HIV. The PHRU are innovators and we look forward to working with them in their new mobile testing programs in Soweto."Established in 1996 by Professors Glenda Gray and James McIntyre, the PHRU initially focused on mother-to-child HIV transmission, shaping national and international guidelines. The PHRU introduced couples HIV counselling and testing in South Africa, established a novel way to tar...