Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Italy will coordinate the first ever network of European and African researchers to develop preventative and therapeutic vaccines for HIV/AIDS. The programme AVIP is sponsored by the European Commission, and led by Barbara Ensoli, a researcher at the Italian Higher Institute for Health Care.
AVIP (AIDS Vaccine Integrated Project), is formed 15 European and African research groups with long experience in the field. The initiative launched in February by the European Commission involves a network, of universities, institutes of research and industries of seven countries Finland, France, Germany, Gt. Britain, Italy, South Africa and Sweden, and includes testing stages 2 and 3 in southern African countries.
For AVIP to be successful it is essential for it to involve communities and associations in developing countries. It is in fact in poor countries that AIDS easily becomes an epidemic. If in the rest of the world AIDS is the fourth cause of death, in Africa, particularly in Sub-Saharan countries, it is the main cause of death in the 15 to 40 year age groups, with serious demographic, social and economic consequences. Moreover, despite effective antiretroviral therapy and information campaigns, the virus continues to spread in the rest of the world reaching devastating proportions in India, South America, China and former Soviet territories. (AP) (13/7/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe: 27; Parole: 316)
