New HIV/aids vaccine to help fight epidemic
A new HIV/aids vaccine will be tested in South Africa after it meets the criteria needed to prove that it can help to fight the epidemic
POLOKWANE – This was reported at the International AIDS Conference, which took place in Durban between 18 and 22 July.
Sir Elton John was among the special guests at the conference, and he expressed his pride at South Africa’s will to survive.
“I’m proud of South Africa, your willingness to fight, your willingness to survive and being proud of oneself,” he said.
According to Stats SA, the total number of people living with HIV is estimated at approximately 6,19 million in 2015, while 1 in 10 South Africans are living with the disease.
CNN reported that a small trial, known as HVTN100, took place in South Africa in 2015 to test the safety and strength of immunity the vaccine could provide, ahead of any larger-scale testing in affected populations.
Linda Gail Bekker, deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre in Cape Town and president-elect of the International AIDS Society, is leading the vaccine trials.
“This was precautionary to see if the vaccine looks promising. Four criteria were set as measures of its likely effectiveness, including the level of T-cell and antibody response to fight the virus if it were to infect. It gives the tick on all four, it does look promising and it should launch,” Bekker said.
