hiv-aids

The vaccine MVA-B against HIV gets a 90% immune response in its first test with humans. In addition, after a year, the vaccine proves to still be effective in 85% of the individuals. The vaccine is still a prototype but it shows a promising perspective. Soon it will be tested as well as a therapeutic vaccine, for people already infected with HIV-AIDS. The vaccine has been developed by the Spanish High Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), in collaboration with Barcelona’s Hospital Clínic and by Madrid’s Hospital Gregorio Marañón.

The NGO and Barcelona's ‘Hospital Clínic’ have helped decrease HIV/AIDS from 90% to 14% in India’s Anantapur District. Both organisations renewed their agreement for another four years. The combined efforts of both organisations have provided health coverage to 90% of HIV infected patients, similar to the rate registered in a developed country.

Two hundred patients are already attended by webcam. The number is expected to grow to 500 over next two years.

It is the most effective AIDS vaccine to date. It has been tested on HIV patients and reduces the viral load up by three times. It needs further test but in the future the new vaccine could replace the current retroviral treatments.

The figures have been stabilising over the last few years, but the Catalan Health Minister, Marina Geli, urges citizens to protect themselves against the disease and says that there is still “a lot” to be done