Carole Leach-Lemens

Carole is an editor and writer with over 25 years’ experience in the field of HIV/AIDS at the planning, management and direct service levels with experience in sub-Saharan Africa and a specialism in maternal and child health. She has consulted for Comic Relief, John Snow Inc., UNICEF and other organisations. Carole holds a Master of Public Health and has been writing news for aidsmap since 2009.

HIV treatment for children & young people

One in five children on ART still lost to follow-up, while disparities between low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa persist

HIV treatment for children & young people

Adult doses of dolutegravir can be used by children weighing 20 kg or more

Pregnancy and vertical transmission

“If we don’t include women in trials, we are not protecting women” – dolutegravir in pregnant women living with HIV

Pregnancy and vertical transmission

Vertical transmission rate of 1.8% in Khayelitsha, South Africa

HIV treatment for children & young people

High levels of drug resistance among infants newly diagnosed with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

Diagnosing infants & children

Evaluating point-of-care early infant diagnosis in Zambia and Zimbabwe

Retention & linkage to care

Adherence clubs linked to 30% reduction in high viral load among postpartum South African women living with HIV

HIV treatment for children & young people

New approaches for paediatric dosing: abacavir in newborns, doubling dolutegravir with rifampicin

HIV treatment for children & young people

One third of adolescents and young adults on ART in Kenya are not virally suppressed

Support issues for children & young people

Peer-led community intervention substantially reduces treatment failure among adolescents living with HIV in rural Zimbabwe

Support issues for children & young people

Guidelines fail to address needs of adolescents living with HIV transitioning to adult health care in low- and middle-income countries

HIV treatment for children & young people

Without frequent viral load monitoring dolutegravir-based regimens not the best choice for African youth on failing ART

Child developmental issues

Antiretrovirals do not cause neurodevelopmental harm to uninfected infants

Health services & systems

What challenges must Nigeria overcome to eliminate vertical transmission of HIV?

HIV treatment for children & young people

Following an HIV treatment interruption, most children recover immunologically

Diagnosing infants & children

Point-of-care technology for early infant HIV diagnosis speeds up return of HIV test results

HIV treatment for children & young people

Why has the uptake of lopinavir/ritonavir oral pellets for children been slow?

TB transmission & prevention

Co-administration of dolutegravir-based treatment and short course of rifapentine/isoniazid (3HP) well tolerated in people living with HIV