The audio is in isiZulu. See the English summary below.

MABUTHO: Ukufekela kwekhambi IHVTN 503 ebelihlolelwa ukuvikela igciwane le HIV, nebelidume ngele ‘€œPhambili’€, kushiye abaningi benongabazane ngokutholakala kwekhambi le HIV. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi ngesikhathi kumenyezelwa ukuhlolwa kwalelikhambi ngasekuqaleni kwalonyaka kwaba nelikhulu isasasa ngalo. Ukuhlolwa kwalo kwachazwa  njengokukhulu kunakho konke okwake kwenziwa ezwenikazi lase Africa laphinde lachazwa njengekhambi elithembisayo. Sixoxisane no Prof. Lynn Morris, we HIV/AIDS Research Unit esikhungweni iNational Institute for Communicable Diseases, ukuzwa ukuthi ngabe lisekhona yini ithemba lokuthi liyotholakala ikhambi lokuvikela igciwane le HIV emva kokufekela kwalelikhambi lakamuva, iHVTN 503. UProf. Morris uyavuma ukuthi ukufekela kwe HVTN 503 kuhlehlisele emuva imizamo yokutholakala kwekhambi elizovikela leligciwane le HIV kwabuya kwadala nongabazane ngenxa yokuthi bekuyikhambi ebelithathwa njengebelithembisa.

PROF. LYNN MORRIS: Yes, the latest vaccine trial was a real setback. It was a vaccine that had shown promise in animal studies, but also in earlier clinical trials in humans because it’€™s very good at stimulating what we thought were the right immune responses’€¦ However, when this vaccine was tested in what is called an efficacy trial’€¦ the vaccine did not offer them any protection.

MABUTHO: UProf. Morris uthi ukumiswa kokuhlolwa kwalelikhambi, iHVTN 503, kakusho ukuthi sekumele iyekwe imizamo yokuthola ikhambi lokuvikela igciwane le HIV. Uthi ukusho lokho ngoba ikhambi lesifo iPolio kuthathe iminyaka engu 47 ukuba litholakale. Uthi ngaleyondlela kuzomele kuqhutshekwe kwenziwe eminye imizamo ngoba sikhulu isidingo sokuthi kutholakale ikhambi le HIV.

PROF.LYNN MORRIS: We have to keep going because we need a vaccine. We know it is a tough challenge but we’€™ ve got to keep going, and I think it is also important to remember that making a vaccine is a long-term process. It’€™s not quick. The polio vaccine, for instance, took 47 years to make. ‘€¦So we definitely need to keep going.

MABUTHO: UProf. Morris uthi nakuba ikhambi lingakatholakali okwamanje uyakholwa ukuthi lizogcina litholakele. Uthi kodwa akathandi ukuthi azinqumele ogodweni asho ukuthi lizotholakala nini ngoba kudala bebethi lizotholakala eminyakeni engu 10 kepha kuze kube manje kalikatholakali.

PROF. LYNN MORRIS: I think a vaccine is possible against HIV. How soon that is, I’€™m hesitant to even put a number on it because I know in the past we have been putting numbers on this’€¦ I think we started with 10 years (she laughs). I really don’€™t think we can put a timeline on it.

MABUTHO: UProf. Morris uthi umyalezo angathanda ukuwudlulisa kubantu njengoba kugujwa iWorld AIDS Day ukuthi kumele kwazeke ukuthi ikhambi alikatholakali okwamanje futhi kubukeka kusekude ukuthi litholakale. Uthi futhi ngisho noma lingatholakala angeke lize libe ikhambi eliphephe ngokugcwele.

PROF. LYNN MORRIS: Even if we did have a vaccine, it wouldn’€™t be the complete answer because no vaccine is a 100% effective – even the very best vaccines that we have. So, even if we have an HIV vaccine, people would still have to practice safe sex’€¦ It’€™s not like we’€™re practicing safe sex waiting for a vaccine. ‘€¦We have to practice safe sex from now until forever.

MABUTHO: Ngokombiko wakamuva we United Nations AIDS iNingizimu Africa iyizwe elinezibalo eziphezulu zabantu abanegciwane le HIV emhlabeni jikelele. Ngokwezibalo zikahulumeni wakuleli balinganiselwa ku 5.5 million abantu abaphila negciwane le HIV kuleli. Ukutholakala kwekhambi lokuvikela iHIV kungasho lukhulu kuleli kanye nasemhlabeni jikelele njengoba zilokhu zikhula izibalo zabantu abangenwa igciwane le HIV.

The English summary.

Will an HIV vaccine be found?

An HIV vaccine is possible, but it will take some time before it’€™s discovered, says the head of the HIV/AIDS Research Unit at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Prof. Lynn Morris.

Prof. Morris’€™s utterances come at a time when hope for a possible HIV vaccine is slowly fading, following the abandonment HVTN 503 trial, popularly known as Phambili. The vaccine trial was stopped with immediate effect, two months ago, after its sister trials in the US and Australia found no protection against HIV infection.

Although Prof. Morris supports the halting of the clinical trial because of safety concerns, she does admit that halting the trial has created a bleak picture about the possibility of an HIV vaccine.

‘€œYes, the latest vaccine trial was a real setback. It was a vaccine that had shown promise in animal studies, but also in earlier clinical trials in humans because it is very good at stimulating what we thought were the right immune responses’€¦ However, when this vaccine was tested in what is called an efficacy trial’€¦ the vaccine did not offer them any protection,’€ said Prof. Morris.

However, she says this does not mean the end of the struggle to find a possible HIV vaccine.

‘€œWe have to keep going because we need a vaccine. We know it is a tough challenge, but we’ve got to keep going. And I think it is also important to remember that making a vaccine is a long-term process. It’€™s not quick. The polio vaccine, for instance, took 47 years to make. ‘€¦So we definitely need to keep going,’€ Prof. Morris said.

Despite the failures, added Morris, it is still possible to find a vaccine. But she’€™s cautious not to suggest a deadline.

‘€œI think a vaccine is possible against HIV. How soon that is, I’€™m hesitant to even put a number on it because I know in the past we have been putting numbers on this’€¦ I think we started with 10 years (she laughs). I really don’€™t think we can put a timeline on it,’€ she said.

She, however, warns that ‘€œeven if we did have a vaccine, it wouldn’€™t be the complete answer because no vaccine is a 100% effective – even the very best vaccines that we have. So, even if we have an HIV vaccine, people would still have to practice safe sex’€¦ It’€™s not like we’€™re practicing safe sex waiting for a vaccine. ‘€¦We have to practice safe sex from now until forever’€.

According to the latest report by UN AIDS, South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV in the world. Government’€™s own statistics show that there are 5.5 million people who are living with HIV in South Africa.