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In 2005 alone, five million people were infected with HIV and three million people died as a result of AIDS. Over 40 million people across the globe are infected with HIV/AIDS today and 14,000 new infections occur every day. While we continue our efforts to expand treatment and prevention the epidemic rages on.
A safe, effective and globally accessible vaccine is the best hope to bring the devastating AIDS pandemic under control. Vaccines have saved more lives and resources than virtually any other public health intervention. They have eradicated smallpox, have nearly eradicated polio and have greatly diminished the human suffering caused by many other diseases.
For many years, scientists, policy makers and advocates have recognized that an accessible preventive vaccine against AIDS could have a profound positive impact on global public health, but it has taken longer to find an AIDS vaccine than initially expected. As AVAC continues its work towards accelerating research and global delivery of a safe and effective AIDS vaccine, we understand that our work is part of the comprehensive response to the epidemic that includes other prevention technologies and treatments. In this vein, research and delivery can be improved across the board through collaboration among advocates, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and community members.
While a safe and effective AIDS vaccine could prove to be a powerful tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS, development of a vaccine is about more than just that - it is about fighting HIV as part of a comprehensive global effort against the greatest public health threat humankind has ever faced.
For an overview of almost everything you wanted to know about the advocacy, research, development and eventual delivery of AIDS vaccines and other prevention technologies, check out the AIDS Vaccine Clearinghouse (www.aidsvaccineclearinghouse.org) which contains the following sections:
General & Introductory Information - A basic introduction for readers who are new to AIDS vaccine research. Why do we need an AIDS vaccine? How will an AIDS vaccine work? These and other basic questions are addressed, with suggestions for further reading.
Vaccine Science, Research & Development - An overview of science and research issues, including the major scientific challenges and concepts, as well as current approaches to AIDS vaccine design.
Clinical Trials Around the World - There are now more candidate AIDS vaccines in or near human clinical trials than ever before. This section offers an introductory guide to the issues, the trials, and the products.
Communities and Cohorts - To determine if an experimental AIDS vaccine is safe and effective, it has to be tested in the populations that will use it - populations at high risk for HIV infection. This section introduces several of these communities, the challenges involved in including them in trials and why it's a priority that we do so.
Participation in a Trial - Without healthy, HIV-negative individuals who are willing to volunteer for clinical trials, the development of an AIDS vaccine would be impossible. This section describes the process of participating in a trial and answers the common questions of potential volunteers.
Ethics & Human Rights - Ethics and human rights concerns infuse every aspect of AIDS vaccine research and testing. This section provides an introduction to the major issues involved.
Community Involvement - Community involvement has always been critical in the fight against AIDS. This section outlines some of the ways people can involve their communities in AIDS vaccine issues, advocacy and trials.
Vaccine Advocacy - Advocacy has played an incredible role in the fight against HIV/AIDS and it is imperative that people continue to advocate for the development and delivery of safe and effective AIDS vaccines. This section describes some of the key advocacy issues in AIDS vaccine research.
Policy - The speed and equity with which an AIDS vaccine reaches the world will be determined to a large degree by the actions of governments and international organizations. This section provides an introductory discussion of some of the public policy issues that can affect AIDS vaccine research, development, testing, and delivery.
Global Access - Action is needed now to prepare for worldwide distribution of AIDS vaccines in the years to come. This section discusses issues related to ensuring global access to AIDS vaccines once they become available.
Comprehensive Response to AIDS - AIDS vaccine research is only one element of what must be a comprehensive response to the pandemic. This section discusses shared advocacy issues among AIDS treatment, prevention, and research advocates.
Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise - The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise is an alliance of independent partners from the major scientific, funding and policy organizations involved in AIDS vaccine research and development. This section introduces the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, its members, its mission and its priorities for the months and years ahead.
Advocates' Network - Advocacy efforts worldwide are vital to advancing the development and delivery of safe and effective AIDS vaccines. This network provides members with regular email announcements, updates and notices of events or activities related to AIDS vaccine research around the world. In addition to regular updates, advocates can submit events and activities to be included in the Advocates' Network Calendar - a calendar of AIDS vaccine related activities around the world.
PrEP Watch - PrEP Watch is a comprehensive information source on pre-exposure prophylaxis prevention research. PrEP Watch features a regularly-updated table of planned and ongoing trials as well as the current information including scientific findings, advocacy documents, and meeting reports.
This website Copyright 2006 AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
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