Date:09/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/12/09/stories/2004120902140400.htm

Back Sibal for more investments in AIDS vaccine research

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Dec. 8

THE Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Kapil Sibal, has emphasised the need for speeding up the pace of socio-economic development and increasing the level of investment in research for developing vaccines to combat HIV/AIDS.

"As HIV/AIDS has become a global epidemic, measures to halt it would require an increased funding-especially from developed world, co-ordination amongst various countries and an appropriate policy framework... There is a need for higher level of investment in research for developing a vaccine against AIDS," Mr Sibal said while addressing a session `South-South collaboration on AIDS Vaccines' at the India Economic Summit here.

"The greatest public health challenge of our times is HIV/AIDS. While prevention efforts have intensified, we know they are not likely to succeed unless integrated into a broader movement. We need to quicken the pace of socio-economic development, empower underprivileged communities and create an environment conducive to proper communication, behavioural change and risk reduction," he said.

The need of the hour was to develop a highly effective and widely available HIV vaccine that can repeat the success of vaccination against small pox and other communicable diseases and bring an end to the pandemic.