The Third African AIDS Vaccine Programme (AAVP) Forum
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The 3rd Forum of the African AIDS Vaccine (AAVP) Programme, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 17-19 October 2005 was organized by the WHO-UNAIDS HIV Vaccine Initiative (HVI) of the WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research (IVR) in collaboration with WHO Office for Africa (AFRO), the WHO Office in Cameroon and the Ministry of Health of Cameroon. More than 240 participants attended the Forum representing African countries, scientists, research agencies, regional organizations, as well as all major international partners involved in HIV vaccine R&D.
The Forum benefited from high ministerial level representation of the governments of Cameroon, Rwanda and Tanzania. The Forum participants developed a set of recommendations aiming to better define Africa's role and contribution to the global efforts for the development of safe, effective and affordable HIV vaccines for African countries, known as the YAOUNDE STATEMENT.
The Forum received a broad coverage by local and international press with 35 journalists attending the two press conferences before the start and completion of the Forum.