India on Monday "opened a $12 million, government-backed laboratory whose mission is to create a new vaccine against HIV," Science Insiderreports. "The HIV Vaccine Translational Research Laboratory, which aims to recruit about 30 scientists, is embedded within the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, a $200 million facility under development on the outskirts of New Delhi" and "will work in collaboration with the New York based-International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)," the news service writes, noting "operating costs will be shared equally" (Bagla, 8/14). "Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam launched the [laboratory] in New Delhi on Monday at a symposium on accelerating India's search for an HIV vaccine," the Wall Street Journal's livemint.com writes. "Promising 'strong political will' at the highest level, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, 'A preventive vaccine for HIV/AIDS is the best hope to end this epidemic,'" and "added that the step was an initiative to reinforce a national response in the global fight against disease," the news service notes