Major boost for HIV Vaccine study in Africa as KEMRI receives shs 7B funding

 

KEMRI Acting Director General Prof. Elijah Songok during the official launch of  of the HIV Vaccine candidate study-Photo and Story By Dickson Odhiambo

February 29, 2024

Major boost for HIV Vaccine study in Africa as KEMRI receives shs 7B funding

The fight to eradicate HIV/Aids in Africa has received a major boost after the Kenya Medical Research Institute has received funding that will lead to the discovery of a HIV Vaccine by African Scientists for Africa through research studies.

The Kenya Medical Research Institute{KEMRI} and Walter Reed Project{WRP} , Kericho Clinical Research Site {CRS} are part of the Consortium under a five year USAID award plan of US Dollars 45.6 million, approximately shilling 7 Billion to advance an African led Development of HIV Vaccine candidates within Kericho in Kenya.

Through  this Consortium known as Bringing Innovation to Clinical and Laboratory Research to end HIV in Africa through New Vaccine Technology{BRILLIANT}, it will develop and evaluate HIV Vaccine candidates emanating from African Continent.

Speaking in at Kericho Clinical Research Site during the launch of the HIV Vaccine candidate study today, the Kenya Medical Training Institute Acting Director General Prof Elijah Songok said this award will support African Scientists and Institution that design and test HIV Vaccine Candidates to improve and advance the most promising HIV Vaccine candidates towards clinical Trials.

Prof Songok says this will include those KEMRI Scientists working at the Kericho Clinical Research Site.

“ BRILLIANT will focus on leveraging existing capacity, scientific expertise and investments made in community engagement in Sub-Saharan African to advance an HIV Vaccine from discovery through clinical trials,” Prof Songok says.

He adds that the Kenyan Scientists will join forces with their research colleagues from Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The KEMRI acting Director General says the Consortium will direct HIV Vaccine Development efforts and speed up designs, and identify appropriate delivery mechanisms.

“In addition, they will conduct HIV Research including basic Science, Pre-Clinical {Animal} studies and Human clinical trials using novel vaccine formulations across all phases of research from phase one to three,” he says.

He further says this will be achieved on a foundation of robust community engagement and advocacy, capacity building and utilization, of reference laboratories that will support safety and immunology analysis.

He reiterates that the award will no doubt accelerate the discovery of an HIV Vaccine that Africa and the world at large desperately need to end HIV and Aids menace, adding  that it will shape the future of HIV research in Africa.