Focus on HIV vaccine remains on radar

Catherine Murombedzi
VACCINES take long to develop and go through a rigorous series of tests before they are ready for use on humans as efficacy and safety for humans has to be proved.

This was said by Dr Thumbi Ndung’u of the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa at the on-going international conference on AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in Africa (ICASA). Dr Ndung’u was speaking at the Biomedical HIV prevention forum where experts informed the public and civil society on progress made on an HIV vaccine.

“Vaccines take time, expertise and research to be finally given the greenlight. In 1909 up to 1954 the world battled polio and it took 47 years to have an effective polio vaccine approved. So vaccines are complex and people need to understand that we are not behind in getting an HIV vaccine, work is on-going and HIV has been around for 30+ years and so work is in progress,” he pointed out.

Dr Ndung’u explained in simple language that a vaccine is a substance that teaches the body’s immune system to recognise a virus that it is not affected by it again because it would have been given already and adjusted to having it in the body.

Professor Mike Chirenje from the University of Zimbabwe Department of Obstretics and Gynaecology has been working on microbicides research since 1994. Zimbabwe started microbicides research in 1992 and Prof Chirenje is privileged to have been among the country programme forerunners.

Prof Chirenje said more options needed to be made available in the response to HIV/AIDS.

“ARVs have given a new lease of life to people living with HIV and we are saying women have to be in control of their lives and reproductive health hence the need to have microbicides available. Microbicides are gels which are applied topically and a break-through is on the horizon,” said Prof Chirenje. He went on to say that a ring has been developed and with this women will be empowered on sexual needs and outcomes.

“Microbicides are ARVs developed to be used by women. Today there is a ring-dapirivine that women will use by placing it in their private parts and it lasts four weeks unlike gels which have to be applied topically and are in use for 12 hours. This ring will revolutionise sexual reproductive health rights for females,” he said. The conference noted that the HIV burden weighed heavily on Africa and the continent could not afford to relax.