Source: The New Vision
MAKERERE University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP) is to carry out trials for an HIV vaccine in July.

The project executive director, Dr. Hannah Kibuuka, told journalists during a media dialogue at their offices in Kampala that the trials would involve 120 participants.

"These trials are commonly done in Uganda, Thailand and the US. We hope to involve 120 participants," she said, adding that the age of those who will participate will be between 18 and 50 years.

Uganda has conducted HIV vaccine trials since 1999.

The first trial was conducted at the Joint Clinical Research Centre and since then, a number of trials have been conducted by the Makerere University Walter Reed Project and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative in Entebbe.

Kibuuka said Uganda has not yet conducted a vaccine trial to determine whether the candidate vaccines can prevent HIV infection.

She, however, said such trials had been conducted in Thailand.

According to her, RV144 trials conducted on over 16,000 individuals showed that the two vaccines given to individuals who participated showed a 31 percent risk reduction in acquiring HIV.

Dr. Kibuuka added that this was a success because it showed that it is possible to develop a vaccine against HIVAIDS in the near future.

• Uganda