GENEVA, 1 December 2011—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) congratulates President Barack Obama on his bold commitment to provide AIDS treatment to 6 million people by 2013 and reach 1.5 million pregnant women living with HIV to protect their children from becoming infected with HIV. This reinforces the collaboration between UNAIDS and the United States on the global plan towards elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015—the foundation for an AIDS free generation.

“The commitments made by President Obama today will save lives and help move us towards an AIDS free generation,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Getting to zero and ending AIDS is a shared responsibility.”

UNAIDS also welcomes the United States’ strong bipartisan commitment to the global AIDS response. This unprecedented solidarity has made the United States the largest global AIDS donor, providing more than half (54.2%) of all international AIDS assistance available to low- and middle-income countries in 2010. The PEPFAR programme, initiated under the leadership of President George W. Bush and expanded by President Obama, currently provides lifesaving HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services to millions of people, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by the epidemic.

World leaders have pledged to invest between US$ 22-24 billion by 2015 for the AIDS response. In recent years, international assistance has begun to decline, jeopardizing the ability of countries to sustain and scale up access to prevention and treatment services. UNAIDS urges members of the G8 and G20 to expand their investments in AIDS—domestic and international. It also calls on all developing countries to increase their funding for their national AIDS programmes.

President Obama’s call to step up HIV prevention efforts using high-impact combination tools, such as treatment as prevention, male circumcision, antiretrovirals to stop new HIV infections among children and consistent condom use, has the potential to avert millions of new HIV infections. This approach, endorsed by UNAIDS, uses the best of new science and will save both money and lives.

China calls for shared responsibility in achieving zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, zero AIDS-related deaths

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé and China’s Premier H.E. Wen Jiabao at a World AIDS Day event in Beijing.

BEIJING/GENEVA, 1 December 2011—China has pledged to fill its HIV resource gap by increasing domestic investments. This pledge was made China’s Premier H.E. Wen Jiabao at a World AIDS Day event in Beijing. The Premier also called on the international community to fully meet its commitments and achieve a world with zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

“I see no reason for the Global Fund to withdraw its support to China,” said Premier Wen Jiabao at the AIDS roundtable in Beijing. “I have asked the Minister of Finance to close the gap left by the Global Fund. We will rely on our own efforts.”

This new commitment from China comes at a crucial moment as resources for AIDS are declining and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria is facing a major setback in resource mobilization, leading to the cancellation of its next call for country proposals (Round 11), putting millions of lives at risk. 

"China's voice could not have come at a more critical time in the AIDS response. We are in a period of high risk and welcome this bold decision," said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, when thanking the Premier of China. "I am confident that a new socially sustainable agenda can be forged that promotes country ownership and shared responsibility.”

More than 6.6 million people are on HIV treatment in low- and middle-income countries and rates of new HIV infections have fallen in most parts of the world. Domestic investments have steadily increased, but the magnitude of the epidemic in Africa means that continued international solidarity and investments are vital.

“Getting Round 11 back on track is a top priority especially as Africa is leading the world in reducing new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths. Its international partners must come forward and help countries multiply their success,” said Mr Sidibé. “This call is not just about shared responsibility but also of shared values.”

China has scaled up its AIDS response in a short timespan, including its evidence-informed HIV prevention services. By rapidly scaling up access to drug substitution therapies, it has reduced new HIV infections among people using these services to close to zero. China has also made important advances in its anti-discrimination programmes and support for civil society organizations. 

“To defeat AIDS, it will take the whole society,” said Premier Wen Jiabao. “China is willing to play its part.” China’s rapid scale up model can be replicated in other countries—especially in strengthening the capacity of community health workers to deliver HIV services. In addition, China can provide vital technology transfer in key areas of innovation of HIV treatment, including development of new antiretroviral medicines, investing in research and development, telecommunications, e-health infrastructure and supply chain management.

Countries, donors, and other partners must mobilize around new UNAIDS strategic investment framework—to generate new resources and optimize AIDS-related investments

GENEVA, 27 November 2011—The unprecedented results and progress achieved by the global AIDS response in 2011 must be sustained and accelerated. Latest data from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have fallen to the lowest levels and more than 6.6 million people now have access to HIV treatment. Greater investments in tuberculosis and malaria programmes have also led to reductions in tuberculosis and malaria-related deaths among people living with HIV.

These gains are threatened by a decline in resources available for HIV prevention and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. And now could be further aggravated by the recently revised resource forecast—showing a shortfall in funding available through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund).

The Global Fund has announced plans to replace its next call for country proposals (Round 11) with a new transitional funding mechanism. The new mechanism will focus on the continuation of essential prevention, treatment and care services currently financed by the Global Fund—making new funding available only in 2014. This announcement could jeopardize global efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goal 6—to halt and reverse the spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2015.

"This delay could keep countries from their efforts to save lives at a time when the AIDS response has seen game-changing results," said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "The Global Fund's new five-year strategy as well as its consolidated transformation plan are steps in the right direction. These plans should restore confidence and position the Global Fund as an important and effective financing mechanism for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria."

UNAIDS urges the international community to urgently explore innovative sources of funding to bridge the gap in global resources for AIDS, including a financial transaction tax to fund critical health and development programmes. It also calls on countries to revise and reprioritize AIDS investments as well as national AIDS strategies using the new UNAIDS strategic investment framework to deliver maximum results and value for money.

"We need new financial modalities and sources of funding such as the financial transaction tax to maintain the momentum of the AIDS response," said Mr Sidibé. "Using the advances in science, we can help countries to use the new investment framework to optimize results for people and save lives."

In response to the financial challenges and opportunities facing countries, UNAIDS is committed to working together with countries; regional bodies including the African Union, African Development Bank and NEPAD; donors such as PEPFAR, DFID and Government of France; civil society organizations and the Global Fund to achieve the bold new targets set by world leaders in the 2011 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS.

UN member states have pledged to invest between US$ 22-24 billion by 2015 for the global AIDS response. Last year, US$ 15 billion was available, however international funding has fallen from US$ 8.7 billion in 2009 to US$ 7.6 billion in 2010.

Donors urged not to shift resources away from AIDS as response shows return on investments

Washington, D.C., London, Geneva, 10 November 2011 – New reports released today shows that AIDS-related funding from United States and European philanthropic donors totaled US$ 612 million in 2010, a combined 7% decrease (US$ 44 million) from 2009. The reports, produced by the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group (EFG) and Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA), with support from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), also show that the number of donors giving more than US$ 300,000 to HIV has reduced by 30% over the last three years. 

“The global response to AIDS, now in its 30^th year, has demonstrated the power of political commitment and financing,” said John Barnes, Executive Director, FCAA. “Profound successes have been achieved – such as more than 6 million people on lifesaving treatment. Commitment and resources must rise now to meet existing needs and take advantage of new opportunities so that we do not experience another 30 years of AIDS.”

Funding from donor governments also decreased in 2010 after sharp increases in funding at the beginning of the decade. There is estimated to be, at a minimum, a US$ 6 billion annual gap between investment needs and available resources.

UNAIDS has developed an investment framework which shows that 12.2 million new HIV infections and 7.4 million HIV-related deaths could be averted between 2011 and 2020 if funding is scaled up to US$ 24 billion by 2015.

“Investing strategically today will not only save lives, it will also ultimately result in significant cost savings in the future,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS. “We have an opportunity to make a real impact but it will require a concerted effort from all sectors including philanthropic donors who play an important role in reaching people most affected by the epidemic.”

The total disbursed by US-based philanthropies reduced from US$ 492 million in 2009 to US$ 459 million in 2010. The key driver of the decrease was a decline in funding from the largest private AIDS funder, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which represents 47% of all HIV philanthropic funding from US funders. This decrease, however, is largely due to the multi-year nature of their commitments and the Foundation forecasts an increase in 2011 disbursements.

Disbursements from all US funders other than the Gates Foundation decreased by 2% from 2009 to 2010 primarily due to a trend of funders exiting the field of HIV-specific funding and moving into areas such as sexual and reproductive health and health systems strengthening.

Funding from European-based philanthropies also decreased by 6%, from US$ 163 million in 2009 to US$ 153 million in 2010.

UNAIDS, FCAA and EFG emphasize that philanthropy has a catalytic role to play in the response to HIV through its commitment to address key focus areas, such as advocacy, that are not often covered by other sources of funding.

“Private philanthropic donors need to reprioritize and support strategically smarter, more efficient interventions that target the needs of communities most impacted by the epidemic,” said Kate Harrison, Portfolio Manager, Comic Relief UK, and EFG Steering Committee member.

Projections for 2011 suggest that total AIDS-related philanthropy funding levels may increase in both the US and Europe. Over a quarter of US funders forecast anticipated increases in 2011, including the top funder, the Gates Foundation. Over a third of European funders, including five of the top 10 funders, forecasted funding to HIV increasing in 2011.

“Even if the 2010 decrease in philanthropic funding for HIV is just a blip, every dollar lost enables new HIV infections, costs lives, can contribute to human rights violations, and stalls progress in the global AIDS response,” said Mr Barnes. “To seize the opportunities now clearly in front of us to end this epidemic, it is critical that we continue to mobilize increased and strategic funding for AIDS.”

The FCAA and EFG annual resource tracking reports intend to inform stakeholders about the overall distribution and trends of US and European AIDS philanthropic funding, facilitate greater coordination and transparency among funders, and encourage expanded philanthropic support for HIV work.

To download the complete reports:

• U.S. Philanthropic Support to Address HIV/AIDS in 2010 at www.fcaaids.org
• European Philanthropic Support to Address HIV/AIDS in 2010 at www.hivaidsfunders.org  

About EFG

The European HIV/AIDS Funders Group (EFG) is a knowledge-based network dedicated to strengthening European philanthropy in the field of HIV/AIDS. The group aims to mobilise philanthropic leadership and resources to address the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and its social and economic consequences and to promote an enabling environment for strategic and independent giving in this field as well as fields closely connected to HIV/AIDS such human rights, global health, and global development. 

About FCAA 

Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) was founded in 1987 with the goal of mobilizing the philanthropic leadership, ideas and resources of U.S.-based funders to eradicate the HIV/AIDS pandemic –domestically and internationally– and to address its social and economic consequences. FCAA is the only U.S.-based organization comprised of and for private philanthropic institutions concerned about, engaged in, or potentially active in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

About UNAIDS

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Learn more at unaids.org.

Rio de Janeiro, 19 October 2011—Ronaldo de Assis Moreira—the Brazilian football star also known as Ronaldinho—has accepted an invitation from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Brazil’s Ministry of Health to promote AIDS awareness through sport.

“Ronaldinho is a great inspiration to young people the world over,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “His voice will reach millions of people and bring new energy to our vision of achieving zero new HIV infections.” 

Drawing on his years of experience in professional football, Mr de Assis Moreira will use sport as a means of engaging young people and raising awareness around AIDS. “I am honoured to stand together with UNAIDS and the Ministry of Health of Brazil in the response to HIV,” said Mr de Assis Moreira. “I am delighted to make a small contribution to this important cause by doing what I do best: playing football.”

Globally there are more than 5 million young people living with HIV and every day, 2400 young people become infected with the virus. Although young people are increasingly learning how to protect themselves, only one-third of young people globally have accurate and comprehensive knowledge of how to protect themselves from HIV.

Brazil has pioneered an effective response to HIV for many years. The Brazilian Minister of Heath, Mr Alexandre Padilha said, “Ronaldinho will be an excellent role model for young people around the world and is passionate about his new role. I am confident that he will be a real asset to the global AIDS response.”

Countries with the highest rates of new HIV infections in children will meet in South Africa to assess opportunities for scaling up programmes.

Johannesburg, 28 September 2011—The Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced today that with political will and focused resources—countries can meet the 2015 target to eliminate new HIV infections amongst children and ensure mothers living with HIV remain healthy through pregnancy, delivery and after the birth of their child. 

UNAIDS estimates about 90% of new HIV infections amongst children are concentrated in 22 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and India. In June 2011, a global pan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive was launched at the United Nations High Level meeting on AIDS. The plan was developed by a Global Task Team Co-Chaired by UNAIDS and United States President’s Emergency Plan on AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).   

Speaking from the Zola clinic in Soweto, South Africa one of the 22 most affected countries with 14% of the global burden, Michel Sidibé said, “Mother by mother, clinic by clinic, and country by country we can reach pregnant women with HIV services, to ensure their babies are born free from HIV and to improve their own health.

During the country visit to South Africa, Mr Sidibe met with parents and healthcare workers to talk about what can be done to accelerate progress. Zola clinic sees about 15 pregnant women each day, the majority do not know their HIV status. South Africa has an ambitious HIV testing and counselling programme that has reached more than 13 million people from April 2010 to September 2011.

Representatives from the 22 high burden countries will meet in South Africa next week to assess country plans. The two-day meeting will focus on country gap analysis and creating momentum. Since the launch, global interest in supporting the elimination goal is high—with innovative fundraising organizations such as (RED) joining to promote and raise needed resources. The African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank are also considering funding national plans in support of the Global Plan.

Fiji latest country to remove entry barriers for people living with HIV

GENEVA, 7 September 2011—The British business pioneer Sir Richard Branson has thrown his support behind a global drive to rid the world finally of the remaining discriminatory laws that keep people from visiting, or living and working in countries solely because they are HIV positive. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has called for the global freedom of movement for people living with HIV.

Sir Richard Branson said, “I applaud UNAIDS' tireless efforts to encourage countries to remove travel restrictions on people living with HIV. Everyone should have the chance to travel freely, and I welcome the opportunity to work together on such an important issue.”

Last month, Fiji became the latest country to lift its restrictions on entry, stay or residence based on HIV status.

“I am very proud to say as the Head of State, that the Fiji Government has taken strides into changing laws that are discriminatory including decriminalizing men who have sex with men and amending legislation on travel related restrictions involving people living with HIV and promoting consultations around creating an enabling environment for sex workers,” the President of Fiji Ratu Epeli Nailatikau stated in his opening address at the International AIDS Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific on Friday 26 August.

Sir Richard Branson said, “Fiji's leadership sends a strong message, and my hope is that other governments will follow their example.”

With the removal of Fiji’s HIV travel restrictions, UNAIDS counts 47 countries, territories and areas that continue to impose some form of restriction on the entry, stay and residence of people living with HIV based on their HIV status. At least 128 countries have no such restrictions.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said, “With the support of tireless advocates such as Sir Richard Branson—we will bring about a new era of equal mobility for people living with HIV.”

Sir Richard Branson is Founder of the Virgin Group of companies. Virgin is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands and has expanded into many diverse sectors from air and ground travel to telecommunications, health, space travel and renewable energy through more than 200 companies worldwide. In 2005, Branson started Virgin Unite, the Group’s non-profit entrepreneurial foundation, which works with partners to create new  approaches to social and environmental issues. Virgin Unite has also helped to incubate a number of global leadership initiatives, including the Elders, the Carbon War Room, and the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship.

UNAIDS

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Learn more at unaids.org.

Virgin Unite

Virgin Unite is the non-profit entrepreneurial foundation of the Virgin Group.  Founded in 2005, Virgin Unite unites people to tackle tough social and environmental problems in an entrepreneurial way, with the aim to help revolutionize the way businesses, government and the social sector work together – driving business as a force for good.  This is based on the belief that this is the only way to tackle the scale and urgency of the challenges facing the world today. For more information please visit www.virginunite.com. 

GENEVA/MENLO PARK, Calif., 16 August 2011—Funding disbursements from donor governments for the AIDS response in low- and middle-income countries fell in 2010, dropping 10% from the previous year’s level, according to an annual funding analysis conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

The study found that donor governments disbursed US$ 6.9 billion in 2010 for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support—US$ 740 million less than in 2009. The decrease was due to a combination of three main factors: actual reductions in development assistance, currency exchange fluctuations, and a slowdown in the pace of U.S. disbursements, which was not a budget cut.

Of the 15 governments surveyed, seven—Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United States—reported a year over year decrease in their disbursements as measured in their own currencies. The figures presented in the report are in US dollars, consistent with international standards and other reporting mechanisms.

Due to currency fluctuations, when measured in US dollars, Australia showed a slight increase in its AIDS funding contribution even though it contributed less in its own currency. Conversely, there was a slight decrease in Denmark’s contribution despite the country’s increased funding level in its own currency.

“AIDS is a smart investment even in this difficult economic environment. We have to look beyond the near-term costs and recognize the long-term benefits,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Donors need to make and follow through on commitments today to reduce costs in the future.”

The overall drop in disbursements was primarily attributed to a reduction in disbursements by the United States, the largest donor nation, which accounted for 54% of total donor disbursements in 2010. While the United States Congress appropriated similar levels of funding for the AIDS response in 2010 as in 2009 (approximately US$ 5.5 billion in each year), disbursements from the United States declined from US$ 4.4 billion in 2009 to US$ 3.7 billion in 2010. This slowdown stems from new requirements established by Congress for the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Some funds appropriated in 2010 will be disbursed in later years.

“With U.S. funding delayed but not eliminated to this point, this year’s drop in spending may be a temporary blip, though its impact on services may be real,” said Drew Altman, Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO.

To reach universal access goals towards HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, UNAIDS estimates that an investment of at least US$ 22 billion will be needed by 2015. Raising this level of funding could avert more than 12 million new HIV infections and more than seven million deaths, according to UNAIDS.

At the United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS in June 2011, UN Member States committed to bold new targets for the AIDS response which include increasing investments for AIDS to between US$ 22-24 billion by 2015.

According to the latest estimates from UNAIDS, 34 million [30.9 million–36.9 million] people were living with HIV at the end of 2010 and nearly 30 million [25 million–33 million] have died from AIDS-related causes since AIDS was first reported 30 years ago.

Flexible, agile and generous funding structures needed to ensure development and delivery of lifesaving new options for HIV prevention

Rome (19 July 2011) – In the last year, promising trial results and critical scientific breakthroughs have changed the HIV prevention landscape, providing new opportunities for both a broader response to the epidemic with new prevention options and broader clinical and laboratory agendas with new research targets. At the same time, investment in biomedical HIV prevention research remained stable despite the effects of the recent global economic downturn, according to a new report released today in Rome at the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention. 

Capitalizing on Scientific Progress: Investment in HIV Prevention R&D in 2010 is the seventh annual report from the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group documenting investments in biomedical HIV prevention research from public, philanthropic and commercial sectors. This year’s report argues that capitalizing on recent promising scientific breakthroughs will require substantial additional and sustained investment from a broader set of donors.

The major, and surprising finding of the report, given the global funding environment, is that overall investment in HIV prevention R&D had actually increased, with the modest exception of a 1 percent decline in vaccine R&D. The report documented a total US$1.19 billion investment in research and development (R&D) for four key HIV prevention options: preventive vaccines, microbicides, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) using antiretroviral drugs, and operations research related to medical male circumcision. Even in the aftermath of a global recession, this investment approached the previous historical high of US$1.23 billion reached in 2007 for these four prevention technologies.

Yet to capitalize on the recent exciting prevention breakthroughs being discussed at the IAS conference, more investment will be needed across prevention technologies and from bench research to operational and implementation research.

“Certainly in this era of economic restraint it is good news that donors continue to see the value of investing in prevention research,” said Paul DeLay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. “But as we capitalize on the recent breakthroughs and move quickly to make new forms of prevention available to those who need them most, we need donors to also move quickly to ensure that funding shortfalls do not become roadblocks.”

There is an urgent need to direct resources to accelerate promise into progress. Yet the report recognized that funders continue to confront budgetary constraints, with some having reduced or eliminated their HIV prevention research programs altogether. Funding for HIV prevention research also remains highly concentrated among relatively few funders, and the Working Group warns that this narrow base of funding will threaten the sustainable research effort required at this critical time and highlights the need for broadening that base, importantly including emerging economies.

“The recent promising results of PrEP and treatment as prevention trials tell us that thirty years into the epidemic we may finally be on the path to ending AIDS,” said Mitchell Warren, AVAC executive director. “New prevention options – medical male circumcision, PrEP, microbicides and eventually vaccines – will play a critical role in reducing the cycle of new infections. As we look toward the next 30 years of AIDS, investment in prevention research has never been more important. Going forward we need funding structures that are flexible, agile, and generous enough to adapt rapidly to new opportunities.”

"We have seen tremendous progress in HIV prevention research over the last two years," said Margaret McGlynn, President and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). "Sustaining the momentum built through these advances depends on access to stable funding that can be flexibly applied to the most promising areas of research. This will allow us to build upon the field's successes and to move promising concepts from the pipeline into clinical trials as swiftly as possible."

“The recent exciting results in the PrEP and microbicide fields are proof that investment in HIV prevention research is bringing women and men around the world much closer to having a broad range of effective HIV prevention options,” said Zeda Rosenberg, CEO of the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM). “Wise investments now in laboratory and clinical research, and in efforts to roll out new interventions will pay off as HIV infections decline significantly in the coming decades.”

The report is available online at: www.hivresourcetracking.org.

New York/Geneva/Rome – Tuesday 19 July 2011 – Data collected for the first time on global investments in HIV treatment-related research and development showed that at least US$ 2.46 billion was available in 2009. The Treatment Action Group, AVAC, and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) issued the report which was released today at the International AIDS Society's 6^th Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment in Rome, Italy. 

The report, An Exploratory Analysis of HIV Treatment Research and Development Investments in 2009, found that 48 funders worldwide (of 144 surveyed) reported investing $US 2.46 billion across six HIV-related research categories—basic science, drug discovery and development, operational and implementation science, antiretroviral prevention, applied/infrastructure and HIV diagnostics.

“Recent scientific breakthroughs have shown that antiretroviral therapy not only saves lives, it can also prevents new infections. This is a game changer for the AIDS response and will increase demand for treatment,” said Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, Programme, UNAIDS. “New investments are urgently needed to produce better, cheaper medicines to ensure the 9 million people still in need of treatment for their own health gain access and that the new demand for treatment for prevention is met.”

An estimated 6.6 million people currently have access to antiretroviral treatment and a further 9 million are still in need. In a political declaration adopted at the recent United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS in New York, UN member states committed to expanding access to treatment for 15 million people by 2015.

“This report marks the beginning of an ongoing effort to monitor global investments in HIV treatment research. It complements the existing efforts of the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group which has been reporting on HIV prevention technology investments since 2004", said Kevin Fisher of AVAC.

Public-sector funders accounted for almost three-fourths of reported HIV treatment research and development spending, with the U.S. National Institute of Health as the leading public-sector investor worldwide in HIV treatment research and development, investing US$ 1.6 billion in 2009.

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies reported investing US$ 591 million in 2009. However, the participation from the private sector in the survey was particularly low and the report outlines that this figure is likely to be substantially higher, possibly reaching over US$ 1 billion.

“HIV drug discovery and development has never been more urgent. While the discovery and development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine is ongoing, it is clear that use of antiretroviral therapy is among the most powerful tools to prevent new HIV infections, preserve health, and lengthen life expectancy” said Eleonora Jimenez-Levi, TAG’s Project Coordinator.

With new evidence showing the benefits of early initiation of HIV treatment in preventing HIV transmission, the report recommends new drug regimens be developed to be simpler, less toxic, resilient, more forgiving of treatment interruption, less prone to promote the emergence of drug resistance and have fewer complications with other drugs commonly used by people with HIV.

TAG’s Executive Director Mark Harrington concludes, “The HIV treatment research landscape is changing. Thanks to recent treatment scale-up and prevention science breakthroughs and the new global treatment target of 15 million by 2015, there is real momentum to bring the epidemic under control and ultimately end it. To capitalize on these scientific gains continued investment and innovation are necessary to prevent new infections, to ensure people currently on treatment are able to continue, and to scale up treatment to reach all those who will benefit from earlier initiation of ART.”

The report is available on-line at: www.treatmentactiongroup.org.

The HIV Treatment Research and Development Resource Tracking Project is a collaborative initiative of the Treatment Action Group (TAG) and AVAC, directed and managed by TAG, in collaboration with UNAIDS.

ABOUT TAG

Treatment Action Group (TAG) is an independent AIDS research and policy think tank fighting for better treatment, a vaccine, and a cure for AIDS. TAG works to ensure that all people with HIV receive lifesaving treatment, care, and information.

www.treatmentactiongroup.org

ABOUT AVAC

Founded in 1995, AVAC is a non-profit organization that uses education, policy analysis, advocacy and a network of global collaborations to accelerate the ethical development and global delivery of AIDS vaccines, male circumcision, microbicides, PrEP and other emerging HIV prevention options as part of a comprehensive response to the pandemic.

www.avac.org