Few rights for HIV vaccine volunteers

Human rights activists have criticised Botswana's government for failing to protect people participating in local HIV/AIDS vaccine trials. The country director of health services, Dr Patson Mazonde, said the interests of volunteers participating in vaccine trials were protected by the country's Drugs and Related Substances Act. Mazonde was quoted by Associated Press agency as saying: "There is also the Health Research and Development Committee, whose job it is to look after all health-related research taking place in Botswana, to make sure it is done in a scientific manner." However, the Botswana Centre for Human Rights has argued that there is still little protection for respondents, and the Community Advisory Board set up to ensure safe, humane trials had no legal standing. Experimental vaccine trials by the Botswana Harvard AIDS Partnership for HIV Research and Education began earlier this year after successful tests on animals.