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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 844 Introduced in House (IH)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 844

 Congratulating the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative on ten years 
 of significant achievement in the search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 2006

 Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Berman, 
 Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Wexler, Ms. Lee, Mr. Crowley, Ms. McCollum of 
  Minnesota, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Waxman, Mrs. 
 Capps, Mr. Nadler, Mr. McNulty, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Towns, Mr. Higgins, 
Mr. Hinojosa, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. McDermott, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. 
  McGovern, Mr. Cummings, Mrs. McCarthy, Mr. Rush, Ms. Jackson-Lee of 
Texas, Mr. Doyle, and Ms. Baldwin) submitted the following resolution; 
     which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Congratulating the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative on ten years 
 of significant achievement in the search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine, and 
                          for other purposes.

Whereas HIV/AIDS has killed over 25,000,000 people worldwide and poses a serious 
        threat to the economic and political stability of the countries hit 
        hardest by this terrible epidemic;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) was founded in 1996 as 
        a public-private partnership with a mission to ensure the development of 
        safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV/AIDS vaccines for use 
        throughout the world, with a particular focus on developing countries, 
        where the need is most urgent;
Whereas ten years ago, insufficient attention and resources were devoted to the 
        need for, and advantages of, a vaccine to bring an end to this disease;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's research and policy programs 
        have galvanized scientific efforts and substantially increased financial 
        and political support for this vital effort;
Whereas since its founding, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative has 
        advanced six vaccine candidates from concept to clinical trials, 
        targeting the subtypes of HIV circulating in the developing world--a 
        record matched only by one large pharmaceutical company;
Whereas today, the majority of newly designed HIV/AIDS vaccine candidates are 
        focused on preventing HIV/AIDS in the developing world, in large part 
        due to the efforts of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative;
Whereas ten years ago only a few developing countries had participated in HIV/
        AIDS vaccine trials, but today several countries in sub-Saharan Africa 
        and Asia are actively participating in HIV/AIDS vaccine trials, a 
        reflection of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's activism and 
        commitment to working collaboratively with developing country partners;
Whereas the model of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which closely 
        links clinical trial site investigators to product developers, has 
        resulted in the first HIV/AIDS vaccine trials being conducted in Kenya, 
        Rwanda, and India, as well as trials in Uganda and South Africa;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative is committed to ensuring that 
        vaccines will be accessible as soon as possible to those who need them 
        most urgently;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative is a founding member of the 
        Global HIV/AIDS Vaccine Enterprise, recognized by the G8 as an important 
        actor in the quest for a vaccine;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative is an affiliated member of the 
        National Institutes of Health's Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation 
        and is hosting NIH trials at International AIDS Vaccine Initiative sites 
        in Africa;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's inclusive approach unites 
        scientists, academics, nonprofit organizations, and governments from the 
        north and south, including communities of faith, communities of color, 
        and many others, in an effort to develop a vaccine to stop global HIV 
        infection rates of 14,000 a day;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative established a Core Clinical 
        Immunology Laboratory and a network of field laboratories in the 
        developing world to facilitate HIV/AIDS vaccine evaluation;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's Core Clinical Immunology 
        Laboratory was the first Good Clinical Laboratory Practices (GCLP) 
        accredited laboratory in the world to assess HIV/AIDS vaccines, and the 
        International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's laboratory in Uganda was the 
        first to receive such accreditation in Africa;
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative has pioneered a successful 
        business model as the first global health public-private partnership, 
        building a bridge between research and product development; and
Whereas the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative established a ground-breaking 
        Neutralizing Antibody Consortium to address one of the key scientific 
        challenges to vaccine design: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative 
        on ten years of significant achievement in the search for an 
        HIV/AIDS vaccine;
            (2) recognizes the role of the International AIDS Vaccine 
        Initiative in raising awareness and increasing financial and 
        political support for this important cause;
            (3) admires the commitment of the International AIDS 
        Vaccine Initiative to collaborating with developing country 
        researchers, governments, and civil society in the common goal 
        of finding a vaccine;
            (4) expresses support for the continued success of the 
        International AIDS Vaccine Initiative; and
            (5) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
        transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the 
        International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
                                 <all>
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