HIV/AIDS vaccine a must

RESEARCHERS, Scientists and Journalists are all agreed that there is need for an HIV vaccine that will stop the further spread of the pandemic. This came to the fore when journalists from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia met during an HIV Vaccines Regional Symposium at Lusaka's ZAMCOM Lodge from June 17, 2015 to June 18, 2015.

Times of Zambia reported that HIV/AIDS activist Mannasseh Phiri, researchers Margaret Kasaro and William Kilembe said following the recently announced about 31.2 per cent success story of a vaccine study in Thailand, it is possible that sooner or later, an appropriate vaccine should be found.

Dr Mannasseh Phiri described a vaccine as a substance that is introduced into the body to produce an immune response against bacteria, viruses or any other harmful germs. The vaccine teaches the body's immune system to prevent or control infection if exposed to the bacteria, virus, or germs later on by "recognising" the invading agent. There are two types of vaccines, namely preventive and therapeutic.

Dr Phiri said HIV/AIDS is a major challenge and a cure for it is still a long way away and that there is currently no vaccine available to prevent HIV. He says a potential vaccine candidate is a potential vaccine that is still being tried for safety, effectiveness, etc and this can not cause any HIV infection.

All HIV vaccine trials are ethical and designed and conducted to international ethical regulations, local ethical approval, participants human rights and well being are safeguarded, participants' informed consent is always obtained and involvement of community advisory boards. He said it is taking long to develop an HIV vaccine because all vaccines take long to develop, HIV is constantly mutating and that research is too expensive to carry out.

He said an ideal HIV vaccine has to be safe, effective, of broad spectrum, has to be stable, available, accessible and above all affordable. Quoting late former South African President Mandela that "A winner is a dreamer who never gives up," Dr Phiri said there is a lot of hope that a successful HIV vaccine virus brings.

He said with the coming in of the 2013 National Research Act, Zambia should scale up its efforts and contribution towards the search for a successful vaccine.

And Dr Kilembe said there is need to accelerate the AIDS Vaccine development and calls for leadership at all levels if this challenge is to be effectively addressed. He said funding for research is available and has remained stable.

Dr Kasaro noted that while efforts to find a successful vaccine might seem not to be bearing positive results, there is still hope that the vaccine will be found, especially in view of the recent Thailand vaccine study results where more than 30 per cent success was recorded.

The two-day workshop was an eye opener on issues pertaining to the search for a global HIV vaccine. The journalists looked at the role of the media in reporting on HIV vaccines and vaccine research, the role of advocacy and community engagement in HIV vaccine and other prevention research and how vaccines are tested and an overview of the research process. Other topics included a history of HIV/AIDS vaccine in controlling and ending AIDS and several other topics of interest to the journalists.

The workshop was a follow-up to a similar one held in Zimbabwe a few months ago where journalists who write on HIV/AIDS and health were invited.

The journalists agreed to form a network so that they could continue exchanging ideas on issues related to vaccines, HIV/AIDS and other health issues. It was agreed that members of the Health Journalists Associations from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia should as a matter of urgency, convene a meeting where they can further the issues discussed during the Lusaka meeting.

" It is my hope that this meeting would be convened soon so that the three countries, through the media, can be able to share information and improve on the reporting on issues of health, HIV/AIDS and particularly on vaccines."