Health authorities in Zambia have halted a planned clinical trial for an HIV vaccine after the United States withdrew funding for the project, local media reported on Thursday.
In January, the National Biosafety Authority approved a clinical trial of an HIV vaccine to be conducted by the Center for Family Health Research in Zambia (CFHRZ), with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
However, William Kilembe, project director at the CFHRZ, confirmed that the trial was halted in February due to the lack of funding from USAID.
“There is no funding. Just like any program, it’s the same reason why other USAID-funded programs are not going on. This was a USAID-funded project, in collaboration with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative,” he was quoted as saying by the Times of Zambia.
He added that all activities, including vaccine research, design, and other related work, have been discontinued.
Kilembe clarified that the research was not necessarily intended to lead directly to an HIV prevention vaccine, but was rather an early-phase clinical trial or proof-of-concept study.
Zambia is among several countries affected by recent cuts in U.S. government funding to the health sector. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
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