Only minor adverse reactions to the vaccines in safety trials
President Jacob Zuma will be tested for HIV, and his health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, has committed himself to doing the same soon, breaking with the previous government's hands-off approach to the epidemic.
But there is also hope in the encouraging results of tests of two South African-developed HIV vaccines that scientists believe will soon save lives.
Though the SA Aids Vaccine Initiative's vaccines are at least a decade away from preventing infection, the latest developments are a huge leap forward.
The crucial first safety phase of the trials of the vaccines are nearly complete and the results are encouraging.
The 36 South Africans and 12 US citizens participating in the clinical tests have shown only minor reactions to the vaccines.
Elise Levendal, interim director of the SA Aids Vaccine Initiative, explained:
Levendal said: "We have not heard of any severe symptoms from participants reacting to the vaccines. Only minor symptoms, such as headaches, reddish skin and a little swelling after the injection of the vaccines were seen, which is normal.
"The most important result we are hoping to get from phase 1 is to find out if the vaccines are safe and that the immune response of the participants is good."
Scientists have been working on the vaccines' development since 1999.
The clinical tests are conducted by the SA Medical Research Council in partnership with the Vaccine Trials Network and the US National Institutes of Health.
Prof Glenda Gray, the lead clinical investigator at Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital, in Soweto, said one of the clinical test results was "promising".
"Our products are really good and I'm very hopeful that they will be successful," she said.
Tsholofelo Mokata, 21, a participant in the vaccine trials, said: "I'm excited that I'm taking part in an experiment that, if it succeeds, will save a lot of lives. My view of HIV/Aids has changed. I now have one partner," said Mokata.
But the government and health department experts, hoping to halve new HIV/Aids infections by 2011 and ensure that 80% of people living with the virus receive antiretrovirals, said there is hard work ahead.
The health ministry told The Times yesterday that 5.4 million people in the country were HIV-positive.
Mark Heywood, chief executive of the SA National Aids Council, said that if the country were to reduce the number of Aids deaths, Zuma and Motsoaledi would have to lead from the front.
"Zuma and Motsoaledi will have to translate their objectives into tangible results.
"People need to internalise HIV and make it relevant to them," said Heywood.
Nokhwezi Hoboyi, of the Treatment Action Campaign, praised Motsoaledi, saying "the new minister is willing to listen to us".
But experts have warned that the country's slow response to Aids has triggered a time bomb that might leave one in three children orphaned.
Motsoaledi said the government's message for today was: "It is the responsibility of all to stop the spread of HIV/Aids."
Loading...
Tackler