IAVI Watch [29 November 2014]

World AIDS Day 2014: Honoring their memories. Partnering toward a vaccine.
December 1, 2014
There have been major advances in treatment and prevention since AIDS was first diagnosed 33 years ago. But the HIV virus continues to devastate millions of people, families and communities around the world.

HIV has infected 78 million people – and half of them have died. Last year alone, 1.5 million people died from HIV/AIDS and 2.1 million – that’s 5,750 a day – became infected. Some 35 million people globally live with HIV today, including almost 6 million people under the age of 25 in sub-Saharan Africa.

Yet many people today mistakenly view HIV/AIDS as a manageable disease, as no longer an urgent priority. Funding for prevention research has flattened – despite optimism about promising advances in scientific progress.

“The tragedy of Ebola has been a stark reminder of the dangers of complacency,” said Margie McGlynn, IAVI President and CEO. “Now, more than ever before, we need to invest in the innovative research it will take to end these deadly diseases.”

On this World AIDS Day, IAVI and our many partners remember the millions of lives taken and torn apart by HIV/AIDS. And we honor their memories with a renewed commitment to build on the scientific momentum that will lead to a vaccine. Together, we can achieve a world without AIDS.