Who pays? Financing for new HIV prevention technologies

With economic recession, shrinking health funds and competing priorities, it is likely that donors might put in the dollar where they perceive to get the most value. Although the research for new HIV prevention technologies has indeed made some progress, yet a formidable way lies ahead to find enough money to finish the research and to make ‘from discovery to delivery’ a reality for those in need of protecting themselves from HIV. This issue of health financing of new HIV prevention technologies was in spotlight at the closing day plenary of the International Microbicides Conference (M2012) in Sydney, Australia.

“Twelve years ago at first International Microbicides Conference in the year 2000, the first major international conference focused on microbicides for HIV prevention, I stood before a similar audience in Washington D.C. and said that, “because of the ferocious speed with which the HIV/AIDS epidemic has spread, we, as an international community, must expand our prevention options more urgently than ever”. That statement is still true. And even though the global response has come a long way since then, the need to invest in new HIV prevention methods remains urgent and necessary” said Dr Debrework Zewdie, Deputy General Manager and Head, Strategy, Investment and Impact Division, of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund).