Human Interest
Significant step in fight against HIV/Aids─── 15:25 Wed, 30 Nov 2016
Durban - Today marks a significant step in the fight against HIV/Aids - with the launch of an HIV efficacy trial to prevent infections.
It's aimed at bringing down the number of new daily infections - which currently stand at over a thousand in South Africa.
The vaccine trial - known as HVTN 702 - follows on the success of another trial in Thailand seven years ago which saw recipients of the vaccine having a 31 percent lower risk of HIV infection. The regimen was altered for the strain of HIV common in South Africa - and two of the volunteers received their initial injections in Verulam - north of Durban today.
Director of the HIV Prevention Research Unit of the Medical Research Council - Professor Gita Ramjee - says the results of the study will only be concluded in four to five years’ time.
East Coast Radiowatch
