Biosafety agency endorses HIV vaccine trials

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 14:59:41 +0000

By LINDA TEMBO

 THE National Biosafety Authority has approved two applications for HIV vaccine trials and Malaria Control to be conducted at the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) and Macha Research Trust respectively.

Speaking during a two day workshop aimed at enhancing effectiveness of the National Biosafety Clearing House, NBA Chairperson Paul Zambezi said the CIDRZ permitted the conducting of the research trials on the safety and immunogenicity of vaccine.

He said the trials will be conducted in Lusaka while the malaria control will be done at Macha Research Trust Southern Province.

Dr Zambezi explained that the National Biosafety Clearing House was set up to promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation.

He said NBA was a statutory body established under the Biosafety Act no. 10 of 2007.

“Our mandate is to regulate the research development, application, import, export, transit, contained use, release or placing on the market of any genetically modified organism whether intended for use as a pharmaceutical, food, feed or processing or a product of genetically modified organism,” Dr Zambezi said.

He said the two approved research applications were the first of their kind that stood out relating to genetic modification that had been processed by the authority since its inception in the country.

He explained that the authority had reviewed other applications in 2017 adding that those that met the required guidelines and standards has been issued with permits.

“While others had been requested to submit further details in order to allow for a thorough risk assessment process.”

Mr Zambezi said the importance of the Biosafety Clearing House was to help facilitate the exchange of all kinds of information about genetically modified organisms which promoted technical and scientific cooperation.