The Nairobi Declaration: An African Appeal for an HIV Vaccine

Government in K6ln of 1999; the SADC Health Ministers meeting in Johannesburg
of November 1999; the meeting of Ministers of Health of the Organisation of African
Unity (OAU) in Ouagadougou in May 2000; the resolution of the World Health
Assembly in May 2000; the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board meeting of
May 2000, and the United States-European Union Summit in Lisbon of May 2000.
We the Participants therefore:
Pledge to use our personal and collective commitment and expertise in the
development and implementation of the African Strategy for an HIV vaccine.
Commit ourselves to assist and actively participate in efforts to mobilise national,
regional and international human, financial and material resources for the furtherance
of the African Strategy for an HIV Vaccine.
Urge African Heads of State and Government, civil society, regional and political
bodies (such as the OAU, SADC, ECOWAS, AfriCASO, ADB, COMESA, NAP,
African Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS) and the media, to promote,
accelerate and strengthen their individual and collective efforts towards advocating
and directing resources in support of the African Strategy for an HIV Vaccine.
Appeal to African HIV/AIDS scientists to develop and strengthen existing regional
networks for AIDS research consistent with the need to facilitate exchange of
information and experience relative to various aspects of HIV vaccine research. In
addition, mechanisms to promote the development of appropriate candidate vaccines
and to conduct scientifically and ethically sound clinical trials must be developed.
Urge that industrialised countries and international HIV/AIDS aid and research
agencies scale up their technical and financial support to HIV vaccine development
efforts for Africa, commensurate with the magnitude and urgency of the HIV/AIDS
crisis on the African continent, paying particular attention to the variability of the HIV
strains between different regions of the world.
Urge that the UN system, WHO, UNAIDS and its co-sponsors, the EU, multilateral
and bilateral agencies, IAVI, international NGOs, foundations and the pharmaceutical
industry engage in, and strengthen their advocacy and support for vaccine initiatives
in and for Africa within the context of the evolving international Partnership Against
AIDS in Africa (IPAA); to expand their technical, logistical and financial support to
HIV vaccine research and development in Africa, facilitating the exchange of
information between and among scientists globally and in the African Region; to
work towards making future vaccines available in the light of developments in the
area of antiretroviral (ARV) drug pricing; and to include HIV vaccine activities for
Africa among the priority of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation
(GAVI).
Urge WHO-UNAIDS, in consultation with scientists in Africa, to establish
mechanisms for translating the African Strategy for an HIV Vaccine into tangible
and deliverable outputs as a matter of priority and urgency.

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