Research scientists at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and Walter Reed Project (WRP) in Kericho have received a five-year USAID award plan of US Dollars 45.6 million, (Sh. 7 billion) to advance an African led development of HIV vaccine.
Speaking during the launch of the research study at KEMRI Kericho, the Acting Director General Kenya Medical Research Institute KEMRI Prof. Elijah Songok said the research study would lead to the discovery of an HIV vaccine by African scientists for Africa based on the circulating HIV viruses within the continent.
Prof Songok said the consortium titled Bringing Innovation to Clinical and Laboratory Research (BRILLIANT) seeks to end HIV in Africa through New vaccine technology to develop and evaluate HIV vaccine candidates emanating from the African continent.
He said that KEMRI scientists in Kericho would improve and advance the most promising HIV vaccine candidates towards clinical trials.
Prof Songok said “on leveraging existing capacity, scientific expertise and investments made in the community in sub–Saharan Africa to advance an HIV vaccine from the discovery through clinical trials, Kenyan scientists will join forces with research colleagues from Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe to find an HIV Vaccine to contain and end the killer disease in Africa”.
He quipped that partners in the consortium would direct HIV vaccine development efforts, design and identify appropriate delivery mechanisms.
The scientists will conduct HIV research including basic science, pre-clinical (animals) studies and human clinical trials using novel vaccine formulations across all phases of research from phase one to three.
“This will be achieved on the foundation of robust community engagement and advocacy, capacity building and utilization of reference laboratories that will support safety and immunology analysis,” Prof. Songok added.
Since 1999, KEMRI Kericho has been closely working with the Ministry of Health, the County governments and proactively engaging the local communities in all their research.
The community engagement includes community board, fieldworkers, Community Health Promoters and Health Care Workers and other stakeholders in collaboration with Walter Reed Project, Henry Jackson Foundation and other partners across the world.
He said that he had confidence that the financial award would accelerate the discovery of an HIV vaccine that Africa and the world at large desperately needs to end the HIV AIDS menace.
Others present at the function included KEMRI Kericho in-charge Research Scientist Dr Fredrick Sawe.
By Dominic Cheres
