Improvements in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in South Africa are not translating into a reduction in maternal deaths due to HIV infection, according to a 15-year review of a large district referral hospital in Johannesburg, the 21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) heard on Wednesday in Boston.

Rifampicin, a key drug in tuberculosis (TB) treatment, can be tolerated at much higher doses than used in current clinical practice – suggesting that much higher drug levels may lead to a more rapid treatment response, allowing the treatment course to be shortened without the need for new drugs in first-line treatment, according to findings presented at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2013) in Atlanta this week.