AEGiS-UPI: AIDS vaccine program starts in Africa

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

AIDS vaccine program starts in Africa

United Press International - November 22, 2006

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) has launched a program in southern Africa to support AIDS vaccine research in the region. The organization already has offices in Nairobi, New Delhi, Amsterdam and New York. The new office will be in Johannesburg, South Africa, to help IAVI work more effectively with southern African partners.

IAVI is a global public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating the development of a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. It has been collaborating with African scientists since 1998 and has conducted eight clinical trials of promising vaccine candidates on the continent. It is currently partnering with local organizations in South Africa and Zambia to test the safety and effectiveness of a preventive AIDS vaccine for the most prevalent HIV subtype in the area.

The new bureau will be led by Valeria Manda and will work with groups in South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana and other countries in the region to gather epidemiological data, encourage scientific and information exchanges, and strengthen health infrastructure and channels that will deliver future AIDS vaccines.

"With help from our local partners, we will continue to invest in research and development, build capacity to conduct clinical trials to the highest standards, advocate for public policies that would make AIDS vaccines a political and economic priority, and ensure immediate access to those most in need once a vaccine is available," Seth Berkley, president and CEO of IAVI, said in a statement released Nov. 22.

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