HIV vaccine search lags after plans

Nearly a year after Nigeria launched its revised plans for HIV vaccine, it is yet to come up with a potential candidate vaccine, experts say. “If you see the map presented showing countries that are into vaccines and microbicide research, you will find that the West African countries are not there, including Nigeria,” said Florita […]

Nearly a year after Nigeria launched its revised plans for HIV vaccine, it is yet to come up with a potential candidate vaccine, experts say.

“If you see the map presented showing countries that are into vaccines and microbicide research, you will find that the West African countries are not there, including Nigeria,” said Florita Durueke, programme manager for of New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS) at a roundtable on media involvement in Nigeria’s vaccine search.
She added: “And Nigeria being second in terms of the HIV burden, calls for concern.”
In its second year, the four-year NHVMAS project aims to engage communities and prepare the Nigerian public to positively receive any possible vaccine development, but what happens after the project ends is uncertain.
A pilot project in Jos, run by Nigerian Canadian Collaboration on AIDS Vaccine, aims to build the capacity of local agencies and researches to handle future clinical trials of potential HIV vaccine candidate.
The project targets range from overseeing test sites to developing cohorts, mobilising communities and getting a reference laboratory of international standards.
Dry run
The pilot is being considered a rehearsal for when a vaccine is in place and its findings are expected published soon.
But there still is no candidate vaccine.
“For now we need to ensure we have that capacity,” said Dr Evaezi Okpokoro, study manager for NICCAV.
“We are trying to build that capacity with a view to actually having a vaccine to try.”
He said unlike Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Mozambique and Gambia were already conducting more than three clinical trials anywhere between first and third phases.
Durueke said civil society organisations are advocating to move to the next stage after the national HIV plan was revised.
“That is translating the research plan into action, in terms of making sure that Nigeria takes its own place in HIV vaccine research,” she said.
“There have been demonstration trials, trying to prepare Nigeria for future research. So all we need do is to support that initiative so that we will one day produce HIV candidate vaccine.”