iThemba! HPRU Newsletter - Volume 1, Number 1
A Word of Welcome from our Director
It is with great pleasure that I welcome all readers to our inaugural HPRU Newsletter. Since becoming Director in 2002, I have watched us grow from 27 staff to the centre of excellence that we are today.
This newsletter has been a long-time goal and it is with great pride that I write the first ever piece in what I am confident is going to be an exciting and interesting publication. On behalf of the Editing team and myself, I hope you enjoy iThemba as much as I will!
- Gita Ramjee
Editor's Note
This is the first issue of ?iThemba?, to be issued quarterly. iThemba is the isiZulu word for ?Hope? which truly embraces our journey in finding a successful HIV prevention method. The objective of this newsletter is to share information about the HIV Prevention Research Unit (HPRU), whilst at the same time serving as a communication tool. Through this publication, we hope to contribute to building a better understanding and appreciation of the work in the Unit and the many faces behind its success.
The first edition of iThemba will lay the foundation of future issues by introducing the HPRU, its history, research agenda and future direction through the feature article ?HIV Prevention Research Unit ? who we are and what we do?. ?The sky is the limit? is a saying that is foremost in mind when reflecting on the success of the HPRU, and the events of the past 3 months certainly pay tribute to this belief. Firstly, having just come back down to earth after basking in the glory of what is being hailed as the most successful Microbicides Conference yet, it is fitting that a portion of our inaugural Newsletter be dedicated to the conference. Secondly, what do you get when you put the world?s richest man and most influential philanthropist of our time with a rock star-like US President? A 6-ring circus of advance teams, Secret Service, protection services, film crews, photographers and media, with a privileged few of us in the middle! iThemba regular feature ?Friends of HPRU? fills us in on a whirlwind visit to the Carlisle
Street clinic by Bill & Melinda Gates and former US President Bill Clinton.
In addition to regular featured articles, each issue of this newsletter will include ?A Day in the Life?? ? a feature which aims to profile the shared vision of our staff in attaining the goals of the HPRU. Other regular features include ?Upcoming Events?, ?Friends of HPRU? and ?Staff Corner?.
We hope you enjoy this inaugural issue of iThemba and look forward to bringing you more exciting news in the months to come.
- Melanie Mills and Zakir Gaffoor, Your Editing Team
The full version of this newsletter can be downloaded here
