The World Health Organization says more than 40 million people are believed to be living with HIV / AIDS, twenty years after it was discovered. seventy percent of the victims are in Africa, where AIDS is the leading cause of death.
Worldwide, about 15,000 people become infected every day, with more than 95 percent of the new cases in developing countries. Because of the scope of the disease, there’s growing consensus among medical experts that the best way to control the pandemic over the long term is to develop a vaccine. More than thirty vaccine trials have been conducted globally since 1987, but only two were in Africa.
One of the organizations leading the way in Africa is the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative, or SAVI. Dr. Tim tucker is the director of the institute. He says savi is looking for funds to continue research for an effective vaccine against the African strain of the disease. English to Africa reporter Chinedu Offor asked him how the institute intends to utilize the new funds. Click above links to hear interview