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| Today the global community celebrates the many political, economic and social achievements of women — from winning more seats in government to improving educational opportunities for girls across the globe.
But in far too many corners of the world, women’s achievements are being undermined by the continued threat of HIV and AIDS. Women are dying far too young, with devastating impact on their families, communities and countries. Almost 61 percent of adults living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa are women. And the numbers of women living with HIV in Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe continue to rise.
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| The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) announced today that it has received a total of US $130 million in grants from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reinforcing the global commitment to address the HIV epidemic in women.
Globally, 7,000 new cases of HIV infection and almost 6,000 AIDS-related deaths occur each day. Due to a mix of biology, culture, and socio-economic factors, women and young girls increasingly bear the burden of the HIV epidemic. In sub-Saharan Africa, young women are more than three times as likely to be infected as young men. >> More >> français >> Read more from Nature Biotechnology |
| The Microbicide Trials Network, a worldwide collaborative group funded by the US National Institutes of Health, has released final results from its Phase II/IIb safety and effectiveness study of two microbicides, BufferGel and PRO2000 (0.5 percent concentration), both vaginal gels being tested to prevent HIV transmission to women during sex.
Results from the four-year trial (HPTN 035), conducted in Malawi, South Africa, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe, show that both products are safe as tested. Quite importantly, while BufferGel unfortunately did not show a protective effect against HIV, the trial indicated that PRO2000 was at least 30% more effective than any other arm in the study in preventing HIV. >> More |
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Chief Executive Officer |
Happy New Year, and thank you to everyone working to defeat the HIV/AIDS epidemic and make prevention tools such as microbicides a reality. It is truly inspiring to see the passion and talent that drives our global effort in the face of enormous challenge. The overwhelming impact of the disease only strengthens our resolve to stay on course as scientific research presses the way towards our ultimate goal: saving lives. I want to take a moment to bring you up-to-date on IPM’s plans for 2009. >> More |
A briefing held Dec. 3 at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C. brought together key leaders in the HIV prevention field, and called public attention to the global effort to produce safe and effective microbicides that could protect women against the pandemic.
“Women continue to account for half of all people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide,” said Cindy Hall, president of Women’s Policy Inc., sponsor of the event, which attracted nearly 200 participants, including legislative staff and advocates. >> More |
| The 21st World AIDS Day this Dec. 1 is an opportunity to take stock of our efforts to end the global HIV pandemic. Expanded access to HIV treatment and existing prevention strategies have been revolutionary and given hope to millions, but there are still three newly infected individuals for every two put on antiretroviral treatment. With this in mind, we must renew our commitment to research and develop new HIV prevention strategies that would complement existing methods. >> More |
| The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) today announced the appointment of Dr. Alex Coutinho as chair of its Board of Directors as well as new Board members Dr. Eunice Brookman-Amissah, Ambassador Eveline Herfkens and Dr. Anita Sandström. Together they offer tremendous expertise in global health policy, international diplomacy, epidemiology and reproductive rights. >> More |
IPM CEO Dr. Zeda Rosenberg (center) with Dr. Andrew Steer (left), director general for policy and research at DFID and Professor Gordon Conway (right), DFID’s chief scientific advisor. |
The United Kingdom government’s Department for International Development (DFID) made the case for HIV/AIDS prevention research in the developing world – and increased funding for it – at a meeting the organization hosted Nov. 4 in London.
At the event, “Joining Forces to Accelerate the Development of New HIV Prevention Technologies,” Gareth Thomas, UK Minister of State for DFID, led the way with an announcement of a £220 million ($350 million) pledge over five years for new prevention technologies.
The event drew leaders and stakeholders from around the world. IPM’s CEO Dr. Zeda Rosenberg spoke about the important role partnerships play in developing new technologies.
For more information, see the Financial Times and The Guardian, and a press release by IPM’s UK partner the National AIDS Trust. |
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