New Botswana Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory

For more information contact:

Ria Madison
Project Administrator
Botswana Harvard Partnership
Private Bag 320
Princess Marina Hospital
Gaborone
Botswana

email: rmadison@bhp.org.bw

Important Events

As communities around the globe commemorate World AIDS Day, the Harvard AIDS Institute will host a series of significant events in Gaborone, Botswana.

The IX Think Tank Symposium Series of the Harvard AIDS Institute on Vaccine Solutions for Developing Countries , November 28-30, 2001

University of Botswana, Public Lecture, November 30, 2001

Harvard AIDS Institute 2001 AIDS Leadership Award, December 1, 2001

Botswana-Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory Dedication Ceremony,
December 1, 2001

The IX Think Tank Symposium Series of the Harvard AIDS Institute on Vaccine Solutions for Developing Countries

HIV Vaccines for Developing Countries: Establishing Networks for HIV Vaccine Trials in Southern AfricaNovember 28-30, 2001
This think tank, titled HIV Vaccines for Developing Countries: Establishing Networks for HIV Trials in Southern Africa, will examine the ethical issues associated with establishing HIV vaccine trials in Africa, the perspectives of African scientific and public health leaders, and the challenges of operating multicenter studies in the developing world. It will also address appropriate sites for trials and the critical aspects of trial design and implementation. Those invited to the meeting include researchers in infectious disease pathogenesis, epidemiology, and vaccine development, as well as HIV experts, virologists, immunologists, behavioral scientists, biostatisticians, and representatives of international organizations who are key players in the definition, funding, and implementation of such interventions. More on the vaccine initiative


University of Botswana, Public Lecture
November 30, 2001
University of Botswana is hosting a public lecture to be given by Dr. Mark Wainberg. He is the Director of Research at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Canada. He is also a professor of Medicine and Microbiology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Mark Wainberg is well known for his initial identification of 3TC as an anti-viral drug in collaboration with BioChem Pharma Industry in 1989.

Topic: Novel Prevention Strategies for HIV-1: Issues on Microbicide
Development
Time: 4:00pm
Venue: Room 4, New CCE Building
Organizers: Public Education Unit and HIV Planning Committee

Botswana-Harvard HIV Reference Laboratory Dedication Ceremony
December 1, 2001
Led by His Excellency Festus Mogae, President of the Republic of Botswana, the Harvard AIDS Institute and the Government of Botswana will dedicate a new expanded laboratory, the largest and most advanced of its kind in southern Africa. Researchers at the three-level 25,000 square foot facility will conduct epidemiologic and laboratory-based research on the prevention of mother-to-infant transmission and on vaccine preparedness trials for HIV-1C, the predominant subtype in Africa. The laboratory will also serve as a training facility, providing the nation’s scientific community with advanced skills to continue to effectively confront the epidemic. [more ...]

Harvard AIDS Institute 2001 AIDS Leadership Award
December 1, 2001
An award presentation ceremony will honor His Excellency Festus Mogae, President of the Republic of Botswana, for his outstanding vision, leadership, and courage on behalf of his nation and Africa. This landmark occasion highlights the Government of Botswana’s efforts to counter the HIV and AIDS epidemics. Under the leadership of President Mogae, Botswana has set the standard for sub-Saharan African nations by being the first to commit to providing AIDS treatment to all its citizens and administering the first National Program aimed at preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child.