The Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative

The Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) was an effort on the part of the Canadian Government, in collaboration with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is an organization that helps people from all sections of the society to lead a healthy life. This Initiative was first established on 20th February, 2007. This endeavour aimed to develop well-accessible, safer, effective and affordable HIV vaccines all round the globe. This effort started in 2005, when Canadian Research scholars and representatives, met with their counterparts of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to explore better strategies to globalize the HIV vaccination process.

Goals of Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative:

• Coordinating domestic and international efforts to combat the disease
• Supporting the global HIV vaccine enterprises
• Boosting the research and development of HIV prevention vaccines
• Availing HIV vaccines to every HIV patient at a global level
• Building a good coordination with other international organizations with the same objective
• Enhancing the cooperation and participation from the local bodies and local communities
• Improving the laboratory set-ups used for HIV Vaccine research

Efforts Made By Canadian Hiv Vaccine Initiative:

Till 2005, vaccines were not prepared in Canada at a mass scale, for clinical trials and laboratory used. Therefore, the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative started funding for a pilot-scale manufacturing of these vaccines, to facilitate better HIV research and development. Gradually, even NGOs and other voluntary organizations were invited to work with the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative. The government of Canada and Gates Foundation have allotted up to $111million and $28 million, respectively, for its developmental projects in the till 2012.

The other organizations that are associated with CHVI are, African AIDS Vaccine Programme, AIDS Vaccine Asian Network, Europrise, Eurovacc, Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention, Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, Vaccine research Centre, WHO, UNAIDS and Chinese AIDS Vaccine Initiative.

The Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative is headed by the Canadian Ministry of Health along with the ministry of International Cooperation and the Ministry of Industrial Collaborate.

How does Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative benefit Canada?

1. Provide easier access to HIV research results.
2. Reduced price of all HIV vaccines and tests not only in Canada but across the globe
3. In three years, the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative has reduced the tendency of AIDS by 20%.

Technical objectives adopted by Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative are:

1. New approach towards maintaining of mucosal innate and adaptive immune responses
2. New approach in developing prophylactic vaccines
3. New approach in testing therapeutic HIV vaccines
4. Take up new researches that can draft more theories and solutions, correlating immune system and HIV
5. Developing new HIV vaccines

The Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative is an example of a national endeavour at a global level. Canada has not limited to just its own nation. In 2007, it resolved to help the other less privileged developing nations who desperately needed support from international bodies. Therefore, the CHVI, still lends its shoulder, providing economic aid to all those HIV activist, registered under it, all over the world.