Tag Archives: HIV

A SHANNON company is set to receive a share of €10 million in funding from the EU’s scientific research fund. AltraTech has been named among five small Irish companies with big ideas awarded with the funding to help get their ideas to market. The company has developed a portable battery-operated kit for the quick detection of the HIV virus. It is expected that the inexpensive, disposable kit could dramatically improve HIV management worldwide. The five Irish SMEs will receive EU grants of up to €2.5 million each from the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2 funding. The grant is for innovative small firms to get ideas from the lab to the market and help generate growth and jobs in Europe. Through the funding, the SMEs can finance innovation activities such as demonstration, testing, piloting, scaling up and miniaturisation, in addition to developing a mature business plan for their product. The companies involved in the projects will also benefit from 12 …

THE Union of Students in Ireland has teamed up with Operation Zero today (Wednesday) on Irish AIDS Days  with the message ‘no shame, no judgment, just support!’ This is to encourage students to get tested, as new figures from Health Protection Surveillance Centre show a 30% increase in HIV in Ireland.There were 491 new HIV diagnosis notified during 2015 – an increase of 30% compared to 2014. Among those 491, 49.7% were men who have had sex with men, 23.8% were heterosexual, 9.2% were people who inject drugs, and 0.8% were mother-to-child transmissions. “USI is encouraging students across Ireland to regularly get tested.” Kevin Donoghue, USI president said. “STI screenings are available in health clinics across campuses and from local GPs. There are also free rapid HIV testing in locations such as Panti Bar in Dublin; GOSHH in Limerick, Chambers nightclub in Cork and a walk-in clinic in UCH Galway. STI screenings only take five minutes and are essential for a healthy …

SHANNON company AltraTech is working on developing an inexpensive, disposable kit that could dramatically improve HIV management worldwide. AltraTech, which was founded two years ago, has just signed a collaboration agreement with the US National Institute of Health (NIH). CEO Tim Cummins is a Cork man, now based in Cratloe. He explained the management of HIV is quite a complex process from the moment diagnosis is made. “If you are diagnosed HIV positive, unfortunately a life-changing diagnosis, you’re a little bit like the diabetic who has been told they have type 2 diabetes and for the rest of their life they have to monitor their blood sugar; they have to measure it, inject insulin or take tablets or something. It’s the same for a person with HIV, there’s still no cure for it even though many people are trying. They have to take antiviral drugs and try to keep the virus at bay. To do that, the virus has to …

THE Red Ribbon Project, a Mid West based organisation working within the area of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, sexual health & LGBT, has won the Noel Walsh HIV Campaigner of the Year Award. The Red Ribbon Project has been involved in HIV activism since it was first set up in 1989 by a group of gay men in Limerick and is currently promoting ‘Everyone has an HIV status – do you know yours?’ by providing rapid HIV testing in the community. The group was honoured for its work at the 2014 GALAs – Gay & Lesbian Awards over the weekend. The GALAS were created in 2009 by The National Lesbian and Gay Federation (NLGF) to honour those who work towards a better future for LGBT people in Ireland. “They are here to encourage and reward those LGBT people who give of themselves for the greater good of their community, to show them that their efforts do not go unsung, …