Indian, African experts to participate in HIV-AIDS conference

Experts from India and East African nations will brainstorm ways to accelerate new preventive technologies for HIV-AIDS and to ensure greater role of low and middle-income economies in its vaccine research during a high-level technical session tomorrow.
To be organised by International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) -- a global body funded by USAID working to ensure development of safe and preventive HIV vaccines, the session will witness the participation of experts from leading centres of excellence.
"A high-level technical consultation is being organised with participation of Indian and East African experts from leading institutes/centres of excellence.
"In addition to facilitating acceleration of new preventive technologies, such like initiatives would help to ensure greater role for low- and middle-income economies in AIDS vaccine research," an IAVI statement said.

Officials from Health Ministry are also likely to be part of the consultations.
In India, despite substantial progress in reducing new incidence of HIV, the country still houses the third-highest number of people having and the numbers stand at 2.1 million.
"To reach zero HIV burden in the country, it is critical to fill gaps in the knowledge of how humans can defeat the virus as well reenergize and revolutionalise research efforts through relevant partnerships to understand factors responsible for prevention and control of HIV infection and to develop strategies that support and accelerate discovery efforts," the statement said.
"These multiple interlinked efforts contribute to government's mandate of eradicating diseases through effective preventive measures, convert India into a knowledge society as well provide accessible, affordable, accountable, and effective primary healthcare facilities, are bringing the two - Health Ministry and Science and Technology Ministry together," said Rajat Goyal, Country Director, IAVI.