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HIV/Aids vaccine testing centres in East Africa...
2007-11-06 08:54:43
By Catherine Meing`arana, PST, Arusha
Scientists working on the concept of HIV vaccines in East Africa have expressed hope that inoculation against Aids would be possible in the near future.
The researchers from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania who met in Arusha for appraisal conference reflected on the level of achievements recorded so far towards their objectives.
Participants had in mind that while testing for HIV vaccine in East Africa was underway in the region`s three sites of Mbeya, Tanzania, Kericho, Kenya and Kampala Uganda, there were efforts to introduce more testing stations in the country.
`We carried out the first such test at our Medical Research Center in Mbeya and there has been good response.
At least 60 volunteers came up for the tests. In Tanzania another testing site has been established at the Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-salaam and other areas will soon follow suit,` Leonard Maboko, one of the participating researchers said.
Dr. Hannah Kibuuka a researcher from Uganda`s HIV Vaccine Research Centre of the Makerere University College said two successful trials had been conducted, adding: `We are thus hopeful for a working HIV vaccine in the near future,` Kibuuka said.
The conference under the auspices of the United States Military HIV Research Programme has brought together more than 100 researchers from the region and beyond, countries like Nigeria, Thailand and the United States.
The trial vaccine, according to the scientists, is designed to work by mimicking the shapes and structures of HIV proteins.
They cause the immune system to produce antibodies and lymphocyte responses that may recognize and attack HIV.
In this way the immune system is made to recognize and potentially respond quickly if you were to contract HIV.
The hope is that the body's natural immunity prepared by vaccination will be able to fight off a real HIV exposure.
The US Ambassador to Tanzania, Mark Green officiated the opening session of the conference on Sunday who said that while the HIV-Aids pandemic was more devastating than thought of, little has been achieved in combating further spread of the disease.
`Suppose a Jumbo jet crashes anywhere on earth, the incident will hit headlines around the world while information regarding thousands of people dieing of Aids is swept under the carpet,` Ambassador Green said.
Drawing a similarity in the seriousness of Aids problem, the diplomat said Aids included deaths equaled the number of people who would die in a big plane crash every day.
The American Government through its Military HIV Research Programme, in collaboration with the Ministry of health and Social Welfare, is part of the global effort to advance research for HIV-Aids vaccine.
`America is a blessed Nation but we have an obligation to ensure a sustained proper health care for the whole world and especially developing nations,` he said .Ambassador.
Through the US President's Emergence Plan for Aids Relief, the American Government has since 2003 contributed USD800m towards fighting HIV/Aids in Tanzania and is on track to meet its final targets in the country of seeing 200,000 individuals on antiretroviral drugs, providing care for 1.1 million individuals and preventing 490,000 new infections.
The conference represents global commitment to the severe public health crisis of HIV/Aids.
The USMHRP programme is part of on-going efforts globally and in Tanzania to advance techniques to manage the impact of the pandemic.
HIV negative volunteers between the ages of 18-50 the duration is 14-16 months per participant this includes vaccination visits and the follow-ups.
The main purpose of these studies is to test whether the investigational vaccines are safe and tolerable.
After trials are completed at this site, our vaccine will be placed into expanded clinical trials in the United States and around the world.
Eventually large trials will be carried out to see if the vaccine can reduce the rate of HIV infection.
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