This audio report is in isiZulu, see English translation below.

MABUTHO NGCOBO: Ongumqondisi wesinye sezikhungo ezinhlanu kwizifundazwe ezine zakuleli eziqokelwe ukuhlola ikhambi elivikela igciwane lesandulelangculaza  I Perinatal HIV Research Unit, eSoweto ,uDokotela uBusi Nkala, uthi okuyikhona okubalulekile kulomsebenzi abaphezu kwawo, ukuqikelela ezokuphepha kwalabo abayingxenye yalokhu kuhlolwa kwalelikhambi.

DR BUSI  NKALA: Okubalulekile kuma researchers okokuqala nje ukuthi abantu baphephe. Uma ngabe asigculisekanga ukuthi umuntu uyaqonda ukuthi uzifaka kwini siyama kancane naye kuze kube siyaneliseka ukuthi uyaqonda.

MABUTHO: Sibe sesimbuza ukuthi njengoba kulokhu kuhlola kwabo ikhambi  lokuvikela igciwane lesandulelangculaza begqugquzela ukuthi kusetshenziswe izivikeli ingabe kuzobonakala kanjani ukusebenza kwalo?

DR BUSI  NKALA: Siyazi ukuthi unganikeza abantu i-information, ungabanikeza amathuluzi, kodwa kuncike ekuthenini bayawasebenzisa na? So sizama ngakho konke esinakho kodwa siyazi ukuthi akusona sonke isikhathi lapho kwenzeka khona {ukuthi abantu basebenzise izivikeli}.

MABUTHO: Udokotela uNkala uwachithile amahlebezi okuthi basebenzisa abantu abamnyama abahlwempu ukuhlola lamakhambi okuvikela igciwane lesandulelangculaza njengoba isikhungo sabo sizinze elokishini labomdabu iSoweto.

DR BUSI  NKALA: Uyabona uma ngabe ufuna ukubona ukuthi into iyasebenza ekuvikeleni isifo esithize, siyazi futhi sinayo information ukuthi iHIV itheleleka kakhulu kuyona lemiphakathi esisebenza kuyona. Yikho siyibuyisile sazoyenza khona.

MABUTHO NGCOBO: Uthi nakuba beseSoweto kodwa akusho ukuthi bazohlola abantu baseSoweto kuphela.

DR BUSI  NKALA: Sisebenzela eBaragwanath, kodwa asizuthatha abantu baseSoweto kuphela. Sibheke iSoweto nama surrounding areas. Siyi site yokuqala ezobe ibheka abeluangu namakhalathi namandiya heterosexual hhayi nje abantu abangasebenzi siya nakuma industries {sibheke nabantu abasebenzayo}.

MABUTHO: Njengoba kusanda kuqubuka umsindo nge Microbicide iUshercel okunguketshezi obeluhlolwa kubantu besifazane ngokuthi baluthele esithweni sabo sangasese kulandela ukutholakala ukuthi lwandisa amathuba okuthola igciwane, uDokotela Nkala uthi kumele abantu baqonde ukuthi kunomehluko phakathi kwe Microbicide kanye ne Vaccine.

DR BUSI  NKALA: Womabili lamakhambi lawa anganceda abantu ukuthi bangayhitholi ingculaza enye into efanayo kuwona omabili akukabi amakhambi asephasile asacwaningwa, bese ke {umehluko} imicrobicide umuntu uzifakela ngokwakhe. Uyamnikeza ahambe ayozisebenzisela yena ngokwakhe umfundise ukuthi ayisebenzise {kanjani}. I-vaccine inikezelwa abantu bezempilo onesi no dokotela.

MABUTHO: Njengoba iVaccine yona inikezelwa ngabasizi bezimpilo, kuthi iMicrobicides yona inikezwe labo abasuke beyingxenye yokuhlolwa kwayo ukuba bayisebenzise bona ngokwabo kusho ukuthi uma bengayisebenzisi njengokomyalelo abawunikeziwe noma bengachazelwanga kahle izimpilo zabo zingaba sengozini. Khonamanjalo siphinde saxoxisana no Kitlile ovela eMeadowlands, okungelinye lamalokishi aseSoweto, ongomunye wabokuqala ukuba ingxenye yabazosetshenziselwa ukuhlolwa kwalelikhambi lokuvikela igciwane lesandulelangculaza.

KITLILE: Ukwethuka khona angethukile ngoba ngiwafundile ama articles abanginikeze wona.  Bangitshelile ukuthi kumele sisebenzise amakhondomu ngoba abakho sure,  khona manje iVaccine isahlolwa and then each and every now and then uma siza sizohlaba, bazothatha igazi babone ukuthi kuhamba kanjani

MABUTHO: Bangamashumi amabili nane abantu asebephumele obala bazobhalisa ukuthi basetshenziselwe ukuhlolwa kwalelikhambi kulesisikhungo esiseSoweto, kanti ngokusho kukaDokotela uNkala balindele ukuthi ukuthi bathole abantu abangamakhulu amahlanu sebebonke abazobhaliselwa ukusetshenziselwa ukuhlolwa kwalelikhambi. Ngokwesitatimende esikhishwe Inhlangano ebhekele ukuhlolwa kwamakhambi avikela igciwane lesandulelangculaza South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative, ukuhlolwa kwalamakhambi okuvikela leligciwane kuzodonsa isikhathi esiyiminyaka emine. Kanti izifundazwe lapho ehlolwa khona kuseGauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, eNtshonalanga Kapa kanye naseNorth West.

Major HIV Vaccine trial underway  

A major HIV vaccine trial is underway in five sites across the country.  As the country and medical research community alike are coming to terms with the abrupt end of a microbicide candidate vaccine trial, Dr Busi Nkala, Director of the vaccine study at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto, says the safety of patients is a key priority throughout the trial.

Nkala was speaking during an interview with Health-e on the onset of the biggest trial to be conducted in the country dubbed ‘€˜Phambili’€™ ‘€“ which is a Zulu word meaning we’€™re moving forward. The trial will see three thousand participants from four of the country’€™s nine provinces taking part.

The trial comes at a time when there has been a lot of concern regarding the safety of scientific medical trials. A candidate microbicide trial, using new product Ushercell, was abandoned after it was discovered that the cellulose-sulfate based gel might increase the risk of contracting the virus.

However, Nkala said people should be aware that there is a difference between a microbicide and a vaccine. ‘€œThe common thing between the two is that they can both help in HIV infection and secondly they are both not ready to be used because they are still on trial. However the difference between the two is that  microbicides are applied by participants themselves. You just teach them how to use it and give it to them, whereas the vaccine is given by health professionals such as nurses and doctors,’€ she said.

The fact that microbicide is applied by the participants themselves, on their own demands  proper information to the participants  to avoid a danger that may be the result of lack of knowledge and information about the usage of the microbicide.

She said they have already enrolled 24 participants for the trial and that they are expecting to get at least five hundred participants in the next few months leading to the end of the year. ‘€œAlthough we are based in Soweto, we will not only enroll people from Soweto,’€ she said, adding that they are expecting people from other areas outside Soweto to take part.

Meanwhile, one of the participants, Kitlile from Meadowlands in Soweto told Health-e that she is does not fear for her safety in participating in the trial, as the study staff personnel have briefed her well.

‘€œI am quite satisfied, I am not scared because I have read all the articles that I have been given. They {health professionals} also told me to use condoms because they are not sure about the safety of the vaccine because it is still on trial and then every now and then when we come for injection they will test our status,’€ she said.

According to the statement released by the South African International Aids Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI),the trial will carry on for four years in different sites in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and North West.