African nations have a painful and particular relationship with HIV, they have also been at the forefront of the fight against the disease. In this episode, we explore the battle against HIV from their perspective, how a post-colonial legacy combined with complex societal factors provided fertile ground for the spread of the disease. We then follow how Africa dealt with the spread of HIV through the 20th century, to the eventual global escalation that forced international coordinated efforts to battle the epidemic.

Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim and Professor Salim Abdool Karim tell us about their groundbreaking work examining the impact of sociological behaviours on transmission and world renowned HIV expert, Linda-Gail Bekker, explores the latest developments in treatment options.

Guests featured:

- Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim and Professor Salim Abdool Karim on their celebrated research on vulnerable populations and critical interventions https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/09/30/g-s1-25433/hiv-prevention-lasker-prize-aids

Dr. Linda-Gail Bekker on African researchers' role in the development of Lenacapavir and its promise for the Africans moving forward https://idm.uct.ac.za/contacts/linda-gail-bekker

Tuberculosis is often assumed to be a disease of the past, but it kills over 1 million people a year - a higher rate than malaria and HIV combined.

In this episode we visit a forgotten and critical turning point in vaccine development. 'The Black Angels' were a group of black nurses who faced almost certain death to perform the world’s very first clinical trials using the drug that would become the gold standard for TB treatment today. They helped cure tuberculosis in New York City's Sea View Hospital during the mid-20th century.

We talk to New Yorker Maria Smilios about how she happened upon the tale of this incredible group of nurses in 2016. Astounded by the story from the City’s Sea View Hospital, and the incredible pioneers that changed the trajectory of the fight against tuberculosis, she knew she had to tell it to the world.

When the pandemic hit half way through writing her book, Maria realised that many of the themes in her book around inequity and disease were alive and well in present day New York. She decided she needed to write a book about it before it was too late. Maria tells us the story of these incredible pioneers who faced racial adversity, braving almost certain death to perform the world’s very first clinical trials using the drug that would become the gold standard for TB treatment today.

Seema and Maria discuss the future, the challenges of distributing and treating TB worldwide and the hope there is for the future with gains already made in campaigning and the triumphant power of people working together.

Feature guest:

- Maria Smilios - Science writer and author on her book ‘The Black Angels’ revisiting a forgotten passage in the fight against TB and what this story can teach us today.

https://www.mariasmilios.com/

The ‘single shot’ MMR combined vaccine is one of the biggest achievements in childhood infectious disease prevention, directly responsible for saving millions of lives. Fast-forward to the late 1990s, just as communication was becoming increasingly digital - encouraged by lawyers and his own alternative vaccine patent, a fraudulent paper was published by Andrew Wakefield in a highly respected medical journal falsely linking the jab to autism in children. No one could have predicted the devastating effects this would go on to have on MMR vaccine hesitancy for generations to come, the effects of which pervade to this day.

We talk to Professor Beate Kampmann about how an estimated 94 million deaths have been prevented, and the challenges for distribution and the inefficiencies of medical systems. Professor Helen Bedford talks about communication around vaccines and how empathy and understanding of skepticism will save more lives than dismission or derision.

Contributor Notes

- Prof Beate Kampmann on the MMR vaccines evolution and power https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/kampmann.beate

- Journalist Brian Deer - on Andrew Wakefield and his devastating fraud linking the measles vaccine and autism https://briandeer.com/

- Prof. Helen Bedford on the key to building trust as measles outbreaks happen more regularly https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/6707-helen-bedford