Prevention of Mother to Infant Transmission of HIV-1C in Botswana

Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL) and Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA)

Health and Workplace study

Adult Anti-retroviral Treatment and Resistance Study (Tshepo)

HIV Vaccine Initiative (Maiteko a Tshireletso)

HIV Vaccine Initiative (Maiteko a Tshireletso)

THe HIV Vaccine Initiative is split into two parts:

Vaccine Preparedness: The ability to evaluate the efficacy of preventive HIV vaccines in Botswana will require an investment in infrastructure development in order to address a number of “feasibility” concerns. These feasibility concerns consist of the ability to recruit and retain populations with “sufficiently” high HIV seroincidence under conditions of an HIV vaccine trial with the provision of responsible and achievable counseling. Additional feasibility concerns include the ability to obtain truly informed consent, monitor social harms (particularly increases in HIV risk behavior), and assess the feasibility and interest in non-vaccine interventions under conditions of an HIV vaccine trial.

In order to evaluate these feasibility concerns in Botswana, the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership plans on conducting an HIV Vaccine Preparedness Study (VPS). This study, designed as a prospective cohort study, is to be conducted among 200-500 uninfected, at risk individuals and their sexual partners, in two sites: Jwaneng and Gaborone. This study will be designed to evaluate our ability to rapidly recruit and retain individuals at risk for HIV infection under conditions of responsible and achievable counseling and testing, and assess HIV incidence over time. In collaboration with Botswana colleagues, there are also plans to develop and test a prototype informed consent process, measure HIV risk behaviors, and assess the impact of alcohol use on HIV risk behaviors.

Vaccine Development: In addition to Vaccine Preparedness, several vaccines that might be considered for trials are in different stages of development at the HAI Resesarch Laboratories in Boston, USA. These designs use different pieces of HIV-1C. They include experimental vaccines made with DNA alone, with HIV immunogens linked to a bacterial delivery protein, and with HIV-1C immunogens delivered by a harmless herpes virus. The Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership in Gaborone is an official site of the U.S. HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN ), a program that provides access to other experimental HIV vaccines as they become available in the future.