AIDS cure controversy
Chika Okeke
Abalaka offers self as test for HIV vaccine
>From Segun Ayeoyenikan and
Jane Ezerewu, Abuja
CONTROVERSY over claims by Dr. Jeremiah Abalaka that
he has discovered a vaccine for curing the HIV virus
continued to rage at the weekend with the Abuja-based
medical practitioner offering himself as guinea pig
for the test of the vaccine.
He said he was prepared to be injected with HIV
infected blood in public glare after which the vaccine
would be administered and another round of tests
conducted to determine the efficacy of his claims.
Abalaka was reacting to comment by Health Minister Dr.
Tim Menakaya on an FRCN Radiolink programme at the
weekend that his vaccine for HIV had no scientific
proof and methodology.
Menakaya and Dr. Sani Gwarzo, former National
Co-ordinator on HIV/AIDs Control, disclosed at the
phone-in programme that the Federal Government had
chosen the University of Ibadan, Human Institute of
Virology in United States and NIPRD in Abuja as
collaborating centres to investigate Abalaka's HIV
vaccine.
In his response, Abalaka said "beyond the
verifications to be conducted at the University of
Ibadan, NIPRD and the U.S., I'm ready to be injected
in public glare with HIV-infected blood after which my
vaccine would be administered and another round of
tests conducted on me to confirm the efficacy of my
claims."
He pointed out that "the interest of any scientist at
this stage should be the effects of the HIV vaccine,
not how they were made."
Abalaka stressed further that "the tests to be
conducted now should be to ascertain how effective and
safe are the vaccines rather than the formula."
According to him: "We do not know the formula used for
making Coca-Cola, but we all drink it in Nigeria. The
Coca-Cola formula is a scientific formulation too like
my HIV vaccine."
On the allegation by the health minister that he had
declined co-operation with him, Abalaka, in a press
statement at the weekend, accused Menakaya of
"avoiding him or making him incommunicado."
"The minister has only given me audience once since
September, 1999 at my instance and pressure. Despite
the minister's promise that patients with HIV/AIDS
would be sent to me for treatment, the ministry did
not send any until February 15 and till this day,
nobody from the ministry has communicated with me to
know the development.
"The next thing I heard was a world press conference
where a ghost patient was presented before Dr. Peter
Piot by Tim Menakaya to run my HIV vaccines down,"
Abalaka said.
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