History
The South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) was established in 1999 as an initiative of the South African government and managed as a lead programme of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). SAAVI’s role was to co-ordinate and support the development and testing of HIV vaccines in South Africa with the aim of finding an affordable, effective and locally relevant HIV vaccine.
SAAVI was initially funded through grants from the South African Departments of Health and Science & Technology, ESKOM, the Impala Platinum Community Development Trust, Transnet and the European Commission.