The Durban World Aids conference heard that an AIDS vaccine should be ready in five to 10 years time, with the first trials set to begin in Hlabisa, Kwa Zulu Natal in December; and simultaneously in other world centres. Seth Bekley of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) said, "with over 5million new HIV infections each year a five year delay could cost 20 to 30m lives." He noted that vaccine production facilities alone take around 5 years to design, build and put into full use and that the size of the plants must be based on estimates of demand that do not yet exist. In addition, the world must build new delivery systems to reach adolescents and others at high risk of infection."

Initial AIDS vaccination efforts will target adolescents aged 10 to 19, sexually active adults, and high risk groups such as sex workers and truck drivers.

The first human trial of an HIV preventive vaccine was conducted in 1987 in the USA.

The first AIDS vaccine was approved for testing in Africa in 1993 among 40 Ugandan volunteers, however, it took a further six years before the first volunteer was immunised as layers of governmental approvals were negotiated. A large trial of an AIDS vaccine from canarypox will take place in Trinidad, Haiti and Brazil early in 2001 among high risk people.

Scientists say that no single country or organisation has what it takes to make this vaccine on its own, partnerships are essential. The development of an HIV vaccine has to become a priority with far great resources set aside for this.

In the last three decades the global community has failed to provide universal access to critical new vaccines. For example, although a vaccine was approved in 1981 to prevent Hepatitis B, use of the vaccine is almost non-existent in poor countries even though the disease kills almost one million people a year.

IAVI wants tiered pricing to make new vaccines affordable for poor countries.

For further information visit www.iavi.org

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