S.Africa cuts off funds for AIDS vaccine project

CAPE TOWN, South Africa: The leading scientist of the first AIDS vaccine created in a developing country says South Africa's government has stopped funding vaccine research - even though a clinical vaccine trial began yesterday in Cape Town.

Professor Anna-Lise Williamson said that "presently, the South African AIDS Vaccine initiative has no money." The utility Eskom also ended its contract for funding.

During nearly 10 years of denial and neglect, South Africa developed a staggering AIDS crisis. Around 5.2 million South Africans were living with HIV last year - the highest number of any country in the world. "We have got the biggest ARV (anti-retroviral) rollout in the world and still hundreds of people are dying every day and getting infected everyday," Williamson said.