.KABWE

From MIRIAM ZIMBA –

in Shanghai China
THE fourth Global Forum on Tuberculosis (TB) Vaccines opens here today.
The Global Forum on TB Vaccines is an international gathering of researchers, product developers, pharmaceutical companies, government officials, advocates and other stakeholders interested and involved in the development of new, more effective tuberculosis (TB) vaccines.
The conference will provide an opportunity to monitor progress in the field and to advance a common agenda that is developed and driven by the TB vaccine research community.
It is expected to cover all aspects of TB vaccines research and development from basic research through to clinical trials.
Other aspects to be addressed at this conference include manufacturing, access, advocacy and other important topic relating to TB vaccines.
The latest data and research findings will be presented at the conference and participants will have an opportunity to engage in discussions and debate the path forward for the critical research.
The First Global Forum on TB vaccines was convened in June 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland and more than 70 participants attended, representing all aspects of TB vaccine research and development.
The conclusion of the First Global Forum was that the driving force for identifying improved vaccines for tuberculosis over the next ten years would be moving investigational TB vaccines into human clinical trials.
Aeras and the Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI) provide organisational support for the meeting, and work in collaboration with a local host organization and an advisory panel to plan and implement the Global Forum.
The conference is mainly sponsored by the USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Aeras, Johnson and Johnson and a few others.
The 4th Global Forum will follow on the very successful and productive Global Forums convened in Geneva, Switzerland in 2001; Tallinn, Estonia in 2010 and Cape Town, South Africa in 2013.