News release
18 May 2007

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, May 18 2007

The HIV Vaccine Division (HAVD) at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) 
The HIV Vaccine Division (HAVD) at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit celebrates HIV vaccine awareness day annually on the 18th May. This is a day that is commemorated internationally every year to raise awareness about HIV vaccines and HIV vaccine research. Today is the 9th annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, which serves to remind the global community of the millions of people who have died of AIDS. There are 15,000 new HIV infections around the world everyday, and an effective HIV vaccine offers the best hope to prevent HIV. Young people are being invited to be the generation that will make history by helping to discover the HIV vaccine that will end the pandemic.

This important event will be celebrated by the HIV AIDS Vaccine Division, the Soweto HIV Vaccines Community Advisory Board,  The day’s events will include talks by Community Advisory Board members, past and current HIV vaccine trial participants and a drama to raise awareness about HIV vaccines. This day will be celebrated at the Diepkloof all purpose Hall 

The first two early Phase I human trials of HIV Vaccines in South Africa started in November 2003 and were completed in 2005. Preliminary results with these vaccines have found them to be extremely safe. Four new preventative HIV vaccine trials have been conducted including one Phase II study. The first therapeutic HIV vaccine trial which started in 2006 is being tested in HIV-1 infected individuals, and aims to keep an individuals viral load very low, allowing them to maintain their immune cells and prevent them from progressing to AIDS has shown excellent preliminary results in tests conducted in Europe and also now in South Africa. An important milestone for HIV vaccine research occurred in January 2007 with the start of the most advanced stage of HIv vaccine trials in South Africa to date, a Phase IIB proof of concept study called the “Phambili” trial.