The Nairobi Declaration: An African Appeal for an HIV Vaccine

* Although several African countries have participated in different international
collaborative projects, including other HIV prevention trials, infrastructures and
capabilities to conduct HIV vaccine trials are virtually non-existent in the
continent.
* It is also recognised that the proactive participation of African scientists,
institutions and the community will be necessary in order to ensure that
appropriate HIV vaccines are developed for Africa. This will require addressing
market failures and other factors that may act as disincentives for developing
vaccines for Africa. Fortunately, anecdotal evidence suggests that there are high
levels of government and community acceptability and interest in HIV vaccines.
C. Response Analysis
1. Political commitment: Several countries (e.g., Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South
Africa, and Uganda), have demonstrated high-level political support for HIV
vaccine research and development as evidenced by action plans and the allocation
of resources.
2. Advocacy: Different international (e.g., WHO, UNAIDS, GAVI, IAVI) and
regional organisations (e.g., SADC, OAU, AfriCASO, SWAA, SAA) have
already been engaging governments and communities at the local, regional and
international level to fast-track HIV vaccine development efforts in Africa.
3. Co-ordination and collaboration: Whilst some international networking has
been taking place (e.g., through NIH-funded projects), co-ordination and
collaboration within Africa and with international agencies and organisations is
limited and must be improved.
4. Resources (human, material and financial): Although some governments (e.g.,
South Africa, Uganda) and international agencies (e.g., NIH, WHO-UNAIDS,
EU, ANRS, CDC, JICA, Sida/SAREC, IAVI) have provided support to vaccinerelated activities in Africa, the level has been insufficient to achieve any
significant results.
5. Capacity building: Although HIV vaccine trials in Africa could significantly
contribute to the global effort to develop HIV vaccines, the capacity to conduct
these trials is very limited and needs to be substantially strengthened.
In general, whilst there have been some isolated efforts to conduct HIV vaccine
research in Africa, it is recognised that there is a need to significantly increase and
strengthen these efforts, to fast track the HIV vaccine development effort in Africa.
D. Vision and Goals:
The African Strategy for an HIV Vaccine advocates and supports a coordinated
effort to contribute to the global HIV vaccine development goals, ensuring that
appropriate and affordable vaccines are developed for Africa in the shortest
possible time.