Catrina Mugglin

December 27, 2016

In developing countries, 9% of the population is now older than 60. In 2050 this will double to 19%. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the HIV-positive population is also aging. Even if the number of people covered by ART is estimated conservatively, there will be 9 million people over 50 living with HIV by 2040. However, if treatment coverage expands at its current rate, this number will rise. Despite the amount of attention received by the HIV epidemic in SSA, there is little information about HIV infection among older adults, or on the burden of HIV and disease outcomes among the elderly in low-income settings. Catrina’s goal is to improve our understanding of HIV among the elderly in SSA by evaluating access to treatment and therapy outcomes in elderly HIV patients in Malawi, and comparing these outcomes to those of younger patients. Catrina finished her PhD at the ISPM, focusing on elderly people, NCDs and HIV in the context of resource limited settings.