New Delhi - After all India started its first new vaccine on humans, the first trial of its kind, which doctors believe, is likely to prove effective against the deadly virus. India is the world's second-largest HIV population after South Africa. 

Such vaccine trials are already being conducted in the United States, Europe, and many parts of Africa and South America. Now the doctors feel, it is the turn of India.

"We've started the first phase of clinical trials, but 85 percent of our focus is still going to be on prevention," Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told the news conference.

"Developing a vaccine to prevent AIDS is one of the most difficult scientific challenges of our time. It is also one of the most urgent health needs."

He revealed that India has more than 5.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS and could reach four times by 2010. The World Bank has also warned that AIDS would become the single largest cause of death in the world's second-most populous country unless there is concrete progress on prevention.

The first phase of human trials in India is being conducted on 34 adult volunteers at the government-run National AIDS Research Institute in the western city of Pune along with the International Aids Vaccine Initiative, health department officials said.
The trial is aimed at fighting the strain C, the subtype most commonly found in the country.