The war on HIV/AIDS and other infectious deceases ravaging the country will receive a boost on Tuesday 25th of this month when wife of the vice president Mrs Jamilla Akitu launches an interactive seminar on the scourge.

The international interactive seminar on development and clinical trails of vaccines and drugs for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases is being put together by Mrs Atiku's NGO, the GEDE foundation.

GEDE Founcation, a non-profit organisation committed to preventing and combating the spread of AIDS through the formation of vaccines through research.

The seminar, which will take place at the NICON Hilton Abuja would attract renowned national and international experts in vaccine development.

A statement from GEDE Foundation said the seminar would centre on "development and clinical trials of vaccines and drugs for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, we are thrilled to host renowned national and international experts in the field as keynote speakers."

According to the statement, Mrs Atiku took up the challenge of promoting a search for the development of a vaccine for HIV/AIDS because of scientific proof that the strain of the disease prevalent in Nigeria is different from that in other countries.

"the seminar will afford participants a novel opportunity to interact and exchange knowledge with a view to boosting local vaccine/drug development, clinical trials research, and healthcare in general," GEDE's statement said.

He said the GEDE AIDS and introduction Decease Research Institute (GAIDRI) is an arm of the foundation which is involved in research drug and vaccine development programmes aimed at ensuring qualitative clinical care for those infected by HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and other diseases.

Alongside its clinical research, GAIDRI is also committed to "providing diagnostic services, antiretroviral drugs and effective therapitic monitoring at affordable rates for people on anti-retroviral therapy," the statement said.

The seminar themes include among other early diagnosis of HIV infection, drug development from national products, HIV drug resistance, vaccine development and immunological assessment in clinical trials of vaccines and drugs.

Others topics include regulatory issues in clinical trials socio-economic consideration and new strategies in precaution of mother to child transmission.

Participants are drawn from Germany, USA, Italy, Congo, UK, South Africa and Nigeria.