Programmatic activities

The activities of the UVRI-IAVI HIV Vaccine Program are undertaken with a wide range of national and grass roots partners and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Uganda AIDS Commission.
The Program has weathered years of exciting developments in the field of HIV prevention research that give new hope in the search for an AIDS vaccine. In a project that involved research programs in Uganda and across Africa, IAVI and collaborators discovered two new neutralizing antibodies against HIV- a finding that provides a framework for the design of new HIV vaccine candidates. Also in 2009, an efficacy trial of an AIDS vaccine candidate in Thailand provided the first evidence that it may be possible to immunize against HIV. The results were moderate with HIV infection reduced by 30% - so now the challenge will be for scientists to develop a vaccine that is much more effective.
The UVRI-IAVI HIV Vaccine Program is well placed to play an important role in this search. The program's relationship with IAVI links us to the global network of HIV vaccine R&D and has facilitated Ugandan scientists and research teams to contribute valuable information that will feed into and accelerate the global efforts to find an AIDS vaccine. Additionally, the program's relationship with the Government of Uganda and the Ministry of Health provides a strong base for our integrated and collaborative approach combining R&D with vibrant community and national programs that focus on informing and engaging a wide range of Ugandan stakeholders.
The UVRI-IAVI HIV Vaccine Program acknowledges and thanks our wide network of partners and collaborators in Uganda and across the globe. While we are proud of our program's accomplishments in over the years, none of them could have been possible without the support, insight and collegiality of these valuable partners.