New report highlights need for HIV prevention

A report released Tuesday in Rome says that overall investment in HIV prevention research and development has increased in the past year, but added that continued funding is needed to capitalize on scientific breakthroughs.

The report issued by the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working group was released at the Sixth International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Parthogenesis, Treatment and Prevention. It documents investments in biomedical HIV prevention research.

“This particular report looks at the amount of money that is being spent on vaccines; on microbicides, which is a tool that women can use to protect themselves; and for PrEPs, pre-exposure prophylaxis, that would be people taking a pill to protect them from acquiring HIV,” said Dr. Paul DeLay, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

He told Vatican Radio the Report emphasizes the importance of prevention in halting the spread of HIV/AIDS.

“[The Report] recognizes that only through prevention are we going to be able to stop this epidemic… and it also recognizes that we still need new tools, and so this research is focusing on those new tools,” he said.


Listen to the full interview with Christopher Wells: