East African Business Week (Kampala)
Leah Brown
18 October 2009
Dar Es Salaam — Local and international scientists have claimed a breakthrough in the HIV/AIDS vaccine trials saying they had registered 100% positive results in body immunity stimulation.
A study, called HIV Vaccine and Immuno-genicity, involved 60 police personnel that freely volunteered.
The volunteers - 45 men and 15 women, were immunized since 2007 and did not develop Aids.
The Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kasali Pallangyo, while releasing results said they were impressive.
"The results are very impressive, what is remaining now is to determine whether the immune treatment can kill the virus or just prevent the virus from further multiplication," said Pallangyo.
However, this will be determined in the final stage which is to commerce soon.
The scientists from Sweden, USA, Germany, South Africa and Tanzania started off in 2007.
The head of research programmes at MUHAS, Dr. Eligius Lyamuya, said the team of researchers would finalise the results soon though funding was one of the challenges facing the team.
"It takes over $15,300 to train one lab technician. This is why we have a shortage of technicians at the moment," noted Lyamuya.
An estimate of 1.4million Tanzanians of 40 million are said to be HIV positive.
HIV/AIDS is said to be one of the causes of increased number of orphaned children. Experts say, if HIV/AIDS vaccine is discovered, new cases of orphans would reduce.
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