Two of South Africa’s biggest employers have committed themselves to supporting HIV/Aids vaccine research and development by collectively donating R4-million to the South African Aids Vaccine Initiative (Saavi).
Impala Platinum Holdings will invest R2,5-million over five years while Transnet donated R1,5-million, a statement from Saavi said on Monday.
Saavi’s director, Dr Tim Tucker, welcomed the donations, saying: ”HIV vaccine research and development is an expensive, long-term undertaking, and will require ongoing support and partnerships such as this from all sectors to be successful.”
The funding will be used to finance Saavi’s complex and multifaceted range of activities, extending from basic laboratory research to develop new test vaccines, to running ethically sound clinical trials.
It also conducted research into the epidemiological, actuarial, ethics and human rights aspects of vaccine development, and extensive community preparedness activities.
Saavi was established in 1999 by the South African government and Eskom to coordinate the research, development and testing of HIV/Aids vaccines in South Africa. – Sapa