The Hindu : Develop anti-HIV vaccine, Kalam tells scientists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 04, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Develop anti-HIV vaccine, Kalam tells scientists

By Our Special Correspondent

The President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, inaugurating the hepatitis-B block of the Indian Immunological Ltd. R&D and Human Vaccine Facilities at Gachibowli in Hyderabad on Friday. The Governor, Surjit Singh Barnala, is also seen. — Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD Oct. 3. The President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, has called upon scientists to develop a vaccine to combat HIV which is causing a major problem for the country and is one of the "worst" diseases in combination with TB.

Inaugurating the Rs.50-crore R & D Centre and Human Vaccine Production Facility at the Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), he said that developing an anti-HIV vaccine was a must. He said that a report on "Healthcare in India", prepared by experts on the typical problems which would be faced by India for two decades had identified three major infections -- tuberculosis, HIV and water-borne diseases that would be of great concern to public health.

"Methods to combat theses diseases have to be found during the next few years. We should see how the advancement in technology can be put to use to improve the healthcare system in the country," the President observed. He said that such an effort would make cost-effective medical technology and devices available and accessible to all the citizens of our country.

Stressing the need for reducing the number of times a child was administered vaccines as part of the immunisation programme, he urged scientists to develop a cost-effective single combination vaccine . It needed detailed clinical research and multi-centric trials for a combination vaccine. " Since IIL already have core competence and experience in this area, I am sure it will go through these efforts to make a single combination vaccine possible", Dr. Kalam said.

Referring to the emergence of the novel approach of developing improved vaccines using genetically modified plants, the President said that genetically engineered plants were used for producing immunogenic peptides which provided a new approach of oral delivery of a plant based subunit vaccine. He said that experimental edible vaccines for a few diseases had been developed and tested for efficacy in animal and human trials globally.

He said that food crops had the potential to play a vital role in promoting preventive healthcare by serving as vehicles for production as well as delivery of vaccines and urged researchers to convincingly propagate genetically modified plants and application of vaccine element through food.

Lauding the NDDB for making available throughout the country milk as a cost-effective nutrient, he said that protecting one billion people for resisting various infections was a great task. This could be done by developing a cost-effective combination vaccine against most prevalent infections and making available natural nutrients to reinforce body's own immunity.

The NDDB Chairman, Amrita Patel, said that a DNA rabies vaccine being developed by the Indian Immunologicals in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science was in an advanced stage of trials. The objective of IIL was to develop products derived through modern biotechnological methods and to try and produce thermostable products which did not require a cold chain.

She said that the IIL had emerged largest Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine manufacturer in the world. She said the Central Government had recognised the need for the country to meet international standards for livestock products and made a provision of Rs.200 crores in the 10th Plan to create FMD disease control zones in 52 districts in nine states. She wanted the Government to make a law making it obligatory on the part of farmers in these zones to vaccinate their animals regularly in order to control the disease.

The plant has been designed to manufacture various human vaccines such as Recombinant hepatitis B, measles, diptheria, pertussis and tetanus.

The Governor, Surjit Singh Barnala, released a brochure and the Commercial Taxes Minister, K.Vijayarama Rao, also spoke.

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