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HIV/Aids Vaccine Trials Begin in Uganda

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This Day (Lagos)

February 21, 2003
Posted to the web February 21, 2003

Sefy Megafuwith Agency Report
Health

As HIV/AIDS threatens global health especially in sub-Saharan Africa, efforts are being made to provide AIDS vaccine to the developing countries. Uganda has started trials of a potent vaccine for AIDS.

The vaccine combats the A strain of the HIV virus, the type that is prevalent in East Africa although most potential vaccines are for the B strain, usually found in United States of America and Europe.

The DNA - MVA vaccine, which was designed by scientists at Oxford University led by Prof. Andrew McMichael in collaboration with University of Nairobi is one of the latest efforts in eliminating the scourge worldwide.

The trials which are run by the Uganda Virus Research Institute with the backing of the International AIDS Vaccine Institute (IAVI) is expected to last for some years. "The trials will go on for about two years after which we hope we can move it to the next phase," said principal researcher, Pontiano Kaleebu.

Fortunately scientists are gaining insight into the nature of the disease. They are harnessing HIV to save lives by stripping out the virus and using it to give new genetic treatments to places like the brain, spinal cord, liver, and skeletal and heart muscle in the body that other drugs cannot reach.

"The reason we use HIV.... is that HIV has a completely unique characteristic. It is able to insert genes into cells that are not dividing. The vaccine is made from copies of a selection of HIV genes that are not able to fully function. "The genes are stitched into a ring of DNA and administered in a Modified Virus (MVA) with no relation to HIV and rendered harmless so that it does not itself cause disease", they explained.

Experts agree that the vaccines do not contain HIV but only the synthetic copies of the virus which they insist is harmless.

Although the Uganda trial is still at its first phase, others have moved to second phase. Also, GlaxoSmithKline's VaxGen, a vaccine that is expected to be in the market within four years had already been tested for side effects on some volunteers and the results are expected any moment.

To further boost research, Bill Gates, the world's richest man, recently donated $200 million to fight the killer disease. The fund he acknowledged was to solve persistent global health challenges. "There is great potential for science and technology to solve persistent global health challenges", he said.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic, not being only social and development problem has left millions orphans around the world.

Acknowledging the characteristics of the disease, President George Bush of America, who described the condition of Africa as emergency, pledged to treble spending on combating HIV/AIDS in the world's poorest countries to $15billion over the next five years. He stated that his emergency plan for AIDS relief is "work of mercy beyond all current international efforts to help the people of Africa".

It is a clear diversion from his former stance not to fund treatment to the 42 million people infected with AIDS worldwide.

The plan would prevent seven million new infections, treat at least two million of the thirty million people infected with the disease in Africa and provide care for orphans.

Increase in new diagnoses are reported everyday on HIV/AIDS. This has become disturbing and has caused fear of a possible resurgence of the epidemic in Nigeria. To intensify efforts at curbing HIV/AIDS, a business coalition against HIV/AIDS has been organised by the private sector and President Olusegun Obasanjo in the country. The move is one among many strategies that have been adopted in the country to help contain the disease.

In Nigeria, latest report indicated that more Nigerians are becoming susceptible to the disease as 3.5 million people are infected. "HIV/AIDS is threatening the fabric of our society and our economy. We must therefore move against this deadly epidemic together", Obasanjo said.

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