VOA标准英语2010年-Africa Plays Key Role in AIDS Vaccine

While the most promising¹ AIDS vaccine² trial ever took place in Thailand, Africa is playing a major role in AIDS vaccine research. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) works in partnership³ with African countries in researching the virus which has infected tens of millions of people on the continent.

"The benefits for Africa are immense," says Gwynneth Stevens, director of the initiative's Clinical Laboratory Program for research and development in South Africa, "Today, IAVI supports and operates 11sophisticated clinical trial facilities in collaboration⁴ with local scientists and institutions in five countries in Africa. So currently, the countries make a huge contribution to the data that is generated."

The five countries are Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda and Zambia.

Stevens adds that the sites generate valuable information on HIV prevalence and incidence, immunology and safety, as well as on the development of disease.

Do or die

The only real way to stop the AIDS epidemic⁵ is by developing a vaccine, Stevens says. There is no cure. While anti-retroviral drugs prolong lives, they still fail to rid the body completely of HIV.

She says while working toward that goal, IAVI is strengthening local and national health care systems:

"While we're en route to the development of a vaccine, there are huge contributions that NGOs like ourselves, make to Africa. For example, capacity building."

She points to state of the art laboratories which have improved the standard of health care in those regions, both by being available and by facilitating support for the clinical trials.

Scientists don't know when a successful AIDS vaccine might be found. However, Stevens points to the encouraging results of a trial conducted in Thailand last year in which almost a third of those participating were protected against HIV infection:

"While we can't pinpoint⁶ the exact day and time I think the scientific breakthroughs over the last 18 months have really showed us that scientifically, the development of a preventative HIV vaccine is possible."

Trials in phases

The trials are conducted in three phases. The Thailand trial was a third phase experiment. Follow-up trials are planned, but the first one is a long way off. It's not expected to begin until 2014.

None of the vaccine candidates being studied in Africa have gotten that far. However, there are a number of promising candidates that will undergo further testing at the end of this year or in 2011. If they're successful, they could go to the last stage of testing – phase three trials – by 2014.
 

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

5 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

6 pinpoint   

vt.准确地确定；用针标出…的精确位置

参考例句：

• It is difficult to pinpoint when water problems of the modern age began.很难准确地指出，现代用水的问题是什么时候出现的。
• I could pinpoint his precise location on a map.我能在地图上指明他的准确位置。