IAVI has been working in Japan since 2001 to mobilize political and financial resources in support of the AIDS vaccine development. Japan, a global center of technological and scientific innovation, is in a position to play a key role in the enterprise.

At the landmark Okinawa/Kyushu G8 Summit in 2000, Japan took the lead in putting the battle against infectious diseases on the global agenda, clearing a path to the creation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Over the years, IAVI has met with parliamentarians, government officials, scientists, NGO leaders and media professionals to raise awareness on the global HIV epidemic and the urgent need for an AIDS vaccine.

OUR PARTNER IN JAPAN 

In 2007, we entered into a partnership with a small biotech company, DNAVEC, based in Tsukuba City, to develop a candidate AIDS vaccine built on a novel delivery system. The candidate is expected to enter the first phase of clinical trials, assessing its safety, in two to three years. 
 

ADVOCACY 

IAVI often begins working in countries by first building awareness about AIDS vaccines and associated technologies among key stakeholders. These efforts lay the groundwork for further advocacy to mobilize political commitment commensurate with financial support.

To that end, IAVI has:

• Together with Japanese scientists and NGOs, such as the African Japan Forum, held a symposium on new technologies for preventing HIV, hosted scientific conferences on AIDS vaccine development in Japan and on the technology being developed in partnership with DNAVEC. 
   
• Worked with the Japanese media to place op-ed pieces written by experts from IAVI in Japan’s publications, and made AIDS vaccine and public health experts available for interviews with reporters.