Masaka Research Centre and Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe have launched trials for an HIV candidate Vaccine. Trials will take place in four countries Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.
Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu the Executive director of Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), says that the participants will be given Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs to guard them against possible infection during the two year study period.
Additionally every participant will be required to take Descovy a new HIV protection drug recommended to be swallowed by HIV negative people who are at risk of infection.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, spokesperson for the ministry of health said that the Medical Research Council, the Uganda Virus Research Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have enrolled the first two volunteers in the African-led PrEPVacc HIV vaccine efficacy trials to test two ways of HIV prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis in humans.
“The HIV vaccine has reached its stage-three trials to establish whether the vaccine can protect an individual from HIV,” said Ainebyoona.
According to the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, the HIV epidemic remains a major public health threat in Uganda with an estimated 1.4 million people living with the virus.