India, home to the world's second-largest HIV population after South Africa, has begun its first-ever human trials of a new vaccine against the deadly virus.
Human trials of vaccines against different strains of the virus are already being conducted in the United States, Europe, Africa and South America.
India has started the first phase of clinical trials, but 85 percent of the focus is still on prevention. Developing a vaccine to prevent AIDS is one of the most difficult scientific challenges and is also one of the most urgent health needs. Indian health officials said the first phase of trials would take about two years and it would be at least eight to 10 years before a vaccine could finally be developed.
The first phase of human trials in India is being conducted on 34 adult volunteers at the government-run National AIDS Research Institute in the western city of Pune along with the International Aids Vaccine Initiative. The trial is aimed at fighting the strain C, the subtype most commonly found in the country.
India has more than 5.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS and experts say the number could quadruple by 2010. The World Bank has warned the disease would become the single largest cause of death in the world's second-most populous country unless there is progress on prevention.
India's HIV problem has assumed serious proportions despite health programs to halt its spread. Over the years, HIV/AIDS has moved beyond traditionally high-risk groups such as homosexuals, commercial sex workers and drug users. The virus is spreading into families, infecting mothers and children, and many people do not even know they are infected because of the widespread lack of awareness about the disease.
Experts say the most alarming trend is the spread of the disease to villages, with rural India accounting for 59 percent of infections compared with 41 percent in cities.
Reuters Health,
January 2005
January 2005