On Tuesday, December 1, the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) announced an exciting new initiative–one to cure HIV-AIDS in the Islands. It is called “Hawaiʻi 2 Zero.”
The Hawaiʻi Center for AIDS (HICFA) is part of the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). HICFA is an academic program focused on HIV education, research and service, working together to reduce the burden of HIV infection and to find a cure for HIV.
“This bold initiative seeks to conduct HIV cure and prevention research directed towards ‘Hawaiʻi to Zero,’” said Dr Lishomwa Ndhlovu, Principal Investigator, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Hawaiʻi Center for AIDS.
The Hawaiʻi to Zero (H20) Cure Initiative proposes to transform Hawaiʻi into the first HIV-free state in the United States. The timing of the Hawaiʻi to Zero Cure Initiative comes on the heels of scientific evidence that a patient from Berlin was cured of HIV in 2007.
“We believe Hawaiʻi has the scientific and community infrastructure to achieve this goal,” Dr. Cecilia Shikuma, Director, Hawaiʻi Center for AIDS.
News Conference at JABSOM on World AIDS Day. Timothy Brown is second from left.
Timothy Ray Brown, photo by Scott Taber.
World Premiere Special on HBO; Hawaiʻi 2 Zero Conference
This weekend, on Saturday, December 5, experts in HIV Research and community leaders gather for the Hawaiʻi 2 Zero launch conference. Our special guest at this event is “The Berlin Patient”, Timothy Ray Brown. On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, Mr. Brown will be featured in the world premier of a new documentary on HBO, the “VICE Special Report: Countdown to Zero”. Catch a video glimpse of it HERE.
Read more about Mr. Brown and our other conference speakers HERE.
The Agenda for the Conference can be viewed at: CONFERENCE AGENDA.
The UH Clinics at Kakaʻako Reception Area.
New UH Clinics at Kakaʻako to open Saturday
Also this weekend, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, JABSOM will dedicate the new translational research space for UH Health Sciences clinicians and researchers and patients, The University of Hawaiʻi Clinics at Kakaʻako. See some photos by Amanda Shell of the clinic space — the FIRST clinics on the Kakaʻako campus!
The University of Hawaiʻi Clinics at Kakaʻako is a multi-purpose research and medical care clinic located directly on the grounds of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM)’s Kakaʻako campus. This newly created clinic has a waiting/reception room, office and charting areas, eight exam rooms, a room to accommodate the dual energy absorptiometry (DXA) machine and 2 procedure rooms. Together with other research and medical clinics, this space will also be the future home of the Clint Spencer Clinic and the research clinics of the Hawaiʻi Center for AIDS.
Click here to visit our HAWAI’I 2 ZERO website.
Our main photograph (at top) shows Dr. Cecilia Shikuma and Dr. Lishomwa Ndhlovu of the Hawaiʻi Center for AIDS.