Sexually Transmitted diseases are becoming a major threat nowadays. Moreover, no education or awareness is raised, especially in African countries. In South Africa, more than one thousand people have become victims of the deadly HIV infection that until now has yielded thousands of death across the globe but not any cure so far.
Anthony Fauci, director of the US Government's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, along with his team is going to test a vaccine against HIV. According to Fox News, a vaccine is going to be tested in South Africa and could help in ending the disease if found satisfactory. This is good news for HIV patients since this vaccine has become their only ray of hope in a pit of despair.
Fauci says that the effectiveness of vaccines, even if not very high, could decrease the number of HIV cases gradually in countries like South Africa. Volunteers for the study will be injected five times in a year. Medical help and counseling will also be provided to those who get infected, on how to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus.
Almost seven million people in South Africa have HIV infection. However, a drug treatment for HIV was successful in the past and increased life expectancy to some extent in past few years. Live Science stated that the vaccine going to be used in South Africa is a modified version of a vaccine used in Thailand 13 years back.
The Thai vaccine had a success rate of 31 percent, but scientists are quite hopeful about the vaccine going to be tested in South Africa and are expecting more sustainable results from the vaccine. The results of the vaccination program are likely to come out in 2020.
Researches about vaccines and improving their effectiveness to get rid of HIV, are going to help a lot of patients not just in Africa but all around the world.
