VATICAN - Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital confirms front line action in global fight against AIDS

Tuesday, 5 October 2004

Vatican City (Fides Service) - Two important agreements for collaboration for the development of a paediatric anti-HIV vaccine were recently signed by the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome and Tor Vergata University in Rome as part of a programme of cooperation to fight AIDS in Africa.
The first agreement regards the insertion of Bambino Gesu researchers and doctors in “Families First Africa” programme launched in 2003 UNESCO with scientific and financial assistance from Italy and in close connection with illustrious names such as Robert Gallo, Director Institute of Human Virology of Maryland University, Baltimore, and Luc Montagnier, President World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention.
In this context collaboration between the Bambino Gesù hospital and Tor Vergata University will help to enlarge the children’s department and the immune- virology laboratory at Alepe Hospital in Ivory Coast.
In 2005 this hospital will start clinical testing for the development of new paediatric formulas of anti-retroviral drugs. In 2006, it will start stage 2 of testing of paediatric vaccine to prevent mother/child transmission of the HIV virus during breast-feeding. In effect although the danger of viral charge and consequent transmission of HIV at birth has been reduced thanks to anti-retroviral drugs, it is difficult to organise in Africa widespread use of artificial milk.
The research programme regards the UNESCO Paediatric Vaccine which aims to stimulate the immune response of new born infants in the first days of life to prevent infection by the virus during feeding.
The second agreement is between the Bambino Gesù Hospital and the International Centre for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of the Bulgarian Academy of Science. The aim of the agreement, which also in this case includes collaboration with Tor Vergata university, is to continue research on the definition of the molecular structure of viruses responsible for AIDS in 1997-99 at Children’s Hospital in Bengasi, Libya. (AP) (5/10/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:33; Parole:328)


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