June 2004
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
EDCTP welcomes G8 support for HIV/AIDS vaccine developmentThe Hague, the Netherlands – On 10th June 2004 during this year's summit in Sea Island, Georgia, the G8 Leaders called for the establishment of a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise: a virtual consortium to accelerate HIV vaccine development by enhancing coordination, information sharing, and global collaboration. The EDCTP is pleased to see this expression of support and commitment to accelerating the research on and availability of a vaccine against HIV, one of the major impediments today to sustainable development of underprivileged countries.
The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) believes that critical impediments to development such as the ones inflicted by HIV/AIDS, must be addressed by having the Developing Countries benefit from both the tools resulting from research (based on their public health needs), and the systems which they have acquired to assess those tools independently.
The renewed emphasis about HIV expressed by the G8 Leaders is welcome, timely and only too needed. At the same time, we must not forget that the same challenges are being faced with tuberculosis and malaria, as well as other, more neglected causes of illness and poverty in the developing world. The EDCTP strongly believes that ultimately the outcome of this initiative and others will depend on the ownership and commitment to this vision by the partners, and by having the concerned countries play a central role.
Adapted interventions are essential to reduce the burden caused by these diseases. Current approaches to vaccine development suffer from common problems and shortcomings, which are shared by all of these diseases. The EDCTP believes that a common, coordinated approach will benefit and expedite developments in general (i.e. capacities and methodologies).
There are today insufficient capacities and overall capabilities to test products clinically in high-burden countries. The EDCTP upholds high scientific and ethical standards for the conduct of clinical studies, which can be broadly applied to the assessment of different interventions and diseases. The EDCTP is poised to contribute to the assessment of candidate interventions, such as a vaccine for HIV, by providing a platform to accelerating the process and acting as a partner, facilitator and focused clinical trials service provider in Developing Countries.
About EDCTP The EDCTP is a long-term partnership of Europe and Developing Countries to accelerate the clinical development of better and more adapted therapeutics and prophylactics for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and to build/strengthen research capacity in countries in which these diseases are health priorities. The EDCTP builds upon existing programmes and efforts, especially those of its stakeholders, and brokers partnerships and resources with the public, private not-for-profit and for-profit sectors. 14 EU Member States plus Norway established the EDCTP in 2003 linked in with the developing countries as a genuine and sustained partnership.
Sources http://www.g8usa.gov/f_061004b.htm http://www.g8usa.gov/d_061004d.htm
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