AIDS Vaccine research policy in India: Rejected abstract Aids Vaccine 2006 Conf.

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

The following an abstract rejected by the the Scientific Programme

Committee of the Aids Vaccine 2006 Conference. Hope some of you may

find this abstract interesting.

Joe

e-mail: joe_thomas123@...

____________________

AIDS Vaccine research policy in India: Equity, ethics and regulatory

issues. Need for greater discussion.

Joe .

Vaccines are crucial to maintaining public health. They are cost-

effective, and efficient way to prevent sickness and death from

infectious diseases. However, unlike many other diseases, the quest

for an AIDS vaccine is riddled with ethical technical and governance

dilemmas.

Even if an AIDS vaccine is in place it may add one more tool to

fight the infection. Considering the social determinants and the

social context of HIV infection, an AIDS Vaccine alone will not stop

the epidemic. Often an AIDS Vaccine quest is driven by a desire for

a `Techno – fix' solution. The statements like " Only an AIDS

vaccine can end the HIV/AIDS pandemic " is just an example of

a " Techno- fix " mongering, not based a real world solution.

Over reliance on preventive vaccine also presents problems. The

beneficiaries of an AIDS vaccine will not be universal, but

stratified according to social position, gender and geography. The

immediate beneficiaries of Preventive and Therapeutic vaccine are

different population groups. Preventive vaccine trial often excludes

children, adolescents, elderly and generally women.

Considering the burden of HIV disease in India, a therapeutic AIDS

Vaccine research agenda provides greater health equity benefits to

the Indian population than a preventive vaccine strategy. More over,

AIDS Vaccine research agenda in India should not be allowed to be

overshadowed by the research agenda of any one single International

NGO. The opportunity cost of such single minded devotion is far

greater than the expected out come. An additional emphasis on

Therapeutic AIDS vaccine research is essential for the Indian AIDS

Vaccine research agenda.

Many of the crucial information, about the Governance of the AIDS

Vaccine research is still not available in the public domain, which

are essential for a health policy dialogue. For instance the

administrative arrangement between the ICMR and the Targeted

Genetics corporation, who's AIDS vaccine candidate known as tgAAC09,

which ICMR is field testing.

The Government must present a white paper on AIDS vaccine research

agenda in India. There is a need to encourage Indian `principle

investigators' with local vaccine research grants and develop an

Independent India AIDS Vaccine Research Program. And most

importantly, a newly constituted regulatory " authority " to protect

the best interest of the clinical trial participants is essential

for the benefit of AIDS Vaccine research in India.

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Excerpts from the Aids Vaccine 2006 Conference Secretariat

rejection letter.

In the past weeks the Scientific Programme Committee of the Aids

Vaccine 2006 Conference has reviewed all the submitted abstracts.

On behalf of the Scientific Programme Committee we would like to

inform you about the status of your abstract. Unfortunately your

abstract is not accepted for an oral or poster presentation. No

discussion is possible about the decision of the Scientific

Programme Committee concerning your abstract(s).

Kind regards,

Joep Lange

Chair

Aids Vaccine 2006 Conference Secretariat

PO Box 23213

1100 DS Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Fax +31 20 6963228

Email: secretariat@...