From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Scientists, mostly female, from eight African Countries, namely, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique, have begun final lap of their research/study that will herald a new HIV/AIDS vaccine.
The Scientists operating under the platform of Brilliant Consortium, said they won’t continue to rely on foreign countries to meet the vaccine needs of Africa, hence the rise to challenge their knowledge and skills, particularly as regards medicals and other related consumables.
Prof. Alash’le Abimiku, the Executive Director of the International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), who leads the effort for Nigeria, at a press conference, in Abuja, on Thursday, expressed great excitement and optimism on the efforts made so far as regards the research, and the result achieved.
She described the efforts as a true partnership that acknowledges the potential of great innovation and science from Africa to solve global health challenges especially those that disproportionally devastate the continent.
She said: “We are very thrilled to partner with the government of Nigeria and colleagues from South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique in this endeavor”.
She added that the Nigerian Canadian Collaboration on AIDS Vaccine (NICCAV) had prepared IHVN for a time as this by conducting a “mock” clinical trial engaging seronegative partners of PLWHs and working with NAFDAC, Nigeria’s regulatory body to build local capacity for the conduct HIV vaccine trials.
She, however, stated that the Brilliant Consortium is using four Research Sites in four countries, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, and the study size consist 40 participants (32 vaccinees + 8 placebo recipients).
“Led predominantly by African women scientists and comprise a multi-disciplinary team, our overall objective is to evaluate HIV vaccine candidates emanating from our continent. Rapidly evaluate “African” immunogens by doing discovery and pre-clinical evaluation utilizing mRNA technology evolving on our continent,” she added.
She added that they intend to partner with civil society to advance African-led HIV vaccine discovery science; design and implement innovative, early-stage clinical trials using an HIV vaccine discovery approach to improve immunogenicity, and hasten the development of an effective broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) inducing HIV vaccine regimen.
NACA Director General, Dr. Temitope Ilori, congratulated the IRCE-IHVN team and thanked USAID for taking this bold step to end the HIV epidemic.
“While we have great prevention tools to give quality life to our citizens infected with HIV, we still need a safe, effective, and affordable preventive vaccine to end HIV transmission. Involving West Africa in any HIV vaccine trial is critical as West Africa has a significant proportion of the African continent’s population and a unique HIV epidemic driven by a recombinant virus”.
Dr. Ezekiel James, the Deputy Director of the office of HIV/TB from USAID, in his remarks, said the study offers the Continent the opportunity to collaborate with the government of Nigeria and stakeholders to sustain the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He said USAID looks forward to the outcomes of this study and for the combined efforts to achieve HIV epidemic control.
Similarly, the UNAIDS country Director, Dr. Leo Zekeng, encouraged practice of engaging communities to create awareness of HIV vaccines, and similar research that continues to break HIV transmission rates.