Posted by FLORENCE UDOH in New York on
International Aids Vaccines Initiative (iavi ) of the United States is set to start trials on aids vaccines in Nigeria next month, a senior iavi official said Wednesday.
International Aids Vaccines Initiative (iavi ) of the United States is set to start trials on aids vaccines in Nigeria next month, a senior iavi official said Wednesday.
Chief Executive Officer and President of iavi , Dr Seth Berkley said in New York while addressing the participants of a Foundation training, that iavi will soon start trials on vaccines in order to find a permanent cure for hiv/aids.
‘Finding a vaccine cure for aids is very critical because the pandemic is claiming millions of lives daily especially in Africa due to high poverty that hinders the ability of persons affected to afford anti retroviral drugs which can sustain lives for at least 10 years," he said.
‘We are doing our trial cases right now in India where the aids pandemic is very high but soon, by next month we will move into Nigeria where as much as four millions persons are infected with the pandemic," he added.
Dr Berkley said it was very critical for governments to collaborate with scientists and other medical personnel towards finding a vaccine very soon for hiv/aids, an area he said has been neglected.
Fresh projections by United Nations agencies , he said indicated that the spending on hiv/aids will rise to $20 billion by 2015 adding however that only a quarter of that amount is allocated to finding vaccine cure.
"Vaccines are the most cost- effective method of solving any disease , because it gives a permanent cure unlike treatment that does not take the problem away completely.''
‘ Iavi is currently conducting trials on its regime of vaccines in nine countries worldwide . These vaccines include , DNA + adenovirus being tested in India, Kenya and Rwanda right now . Iavi is currently collaborating with 40 biotech companies and some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies in a bid to find an hiv/aids vaccine,' he said.
"An hiv vaccine is the only way that is going to end the pandemic ..... We must create tools necessary to end the pandemic ‘ he said.
It is established that over four million Nigerians are living with HIVAIDS and a prevalence rate of five per cent of which young people between the ages 20 and 24 as mostly afflicted.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), only 20 per cent of persons living with HIV/AIDS are eligible for Anti-vetoriral drugs at a particular time representing 800,000 Nigerians.
Federal Government few months ago released $250,000 (about N33.8 million) as part of renewal efforts to cater for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) the agency responsible for the execution and implementation of activities under HIV/AIDS Emergency Action Plan (HEAP) pointed out that 80 per cent of Nigerians were now well informed of HIV/AIDS while 326 support groups had been established in contrast to the non-existent of such groups prior to the time it was established in 1999.
According to NACA chairman, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, 50,000 patients were currently on subsidised ARV treatment as against 10,000 taken care of in 2002 adding that the number of beneficiaries would be expanded.