Soweto hospital evacuated after fire breaks out in the building

An HIV vaccine trial that started in 2016 in South Africa was halted in February 2020. The study sponsors made the call after interim results showed that the vaccine, known as HVTN 702, did not prevent HIV. This result was disappointing, but the search for an effective HIV vaccine continues. Anatoli Kamali, regional director for Africa, IAVI, and honorary professor in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine speaks to The Conversation Africa’s Ina Skosana about other developments in the field.

Why do we need an HIV vaccine?

HIV remains a dangerous pandemic. The number of new infections remains high – about 1.7 million new cases every year. Young people, particularly young women, account for a large portion of the new infections. Scientists have made progress in developing HIV prevention tools in recent years. But marginalized groups – such as adolescent girls and young women, and men who have sex with men – can’t always access these tools easily.