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Malawi’s initiative towards testing an HIV vaccine, which was scheduled to start in May has delayed because of bureaucratic problems involving export permits.
The trial vaccine is part of the urgent global effort to find a cure for HIV/Aids and Malawi is one of the seven countries participating in the project in the world together with South Africa, Peru, Brazil, USA, Haiti and Thailand.
Dr. Jane Mallewa, Vaccine Study Coordinator at John Hopkins Project in Blantyre, said the project was supposed to start working with volunteers by mid May but it has since failed.
Mallewa said the Malawi vaccine trial involves two other offices in South Africa and USA. She added that there was need to get permits for some materials involved in the trial vaccine in all these countries.
“Everything has been done in Malawi and South Africa has just finished this week but we’re yet to be through with the export permit in the USA,” said Mallewa.
She hoped that the project will be on track by the end of this month.
Mallewa also said a good number of people have shown interest to volunteer for the trial.
Field Director for the project Dr. Newton Kumwenda explained that the product being tested in Malawi is one of 20 being tested all over the world and that so far most products in the USA are not out of the laboratories because of high costs incurred as it is private companies that are involved.
He said only people in “very good health” will be used as volunteers for the project.
The project’s community education coordinator Fatima Zulu explained that receiving this experimental vaccine cannot give people HIV infection or Aids as no live or killed HIV virus is used in the vaccine.
“Only a synthetically manufactured virus will be used in the experimental vaccine and this is not the whole part of the virus,” said Zulu.
Meanwhile, the John Hopkins Foundation has organised an HIV vaccine Awareness Day to take place at the Blantyre Youth Centre tomorrow which will involve activities such as a big walk, acrobatic show and speeches. The public will be allowed to ask questions to experts involved in the vaccine trial.
Since seven years ago, the world commemorates May 18 as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day but Malawi postponed the commemoration because of the general elections that were initially scheduled for May 18 but moved to May 20.
The theme is “Real People, Real Progress” and aims at encouraging Malawians to be selfless and to take on the battle to fight the killer disease.
Statistics show that close to one million Malawians are infected by HIV and so far 600 000 have died.
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