Hope Mafaranga

  On this HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, IAS – the   International AIDS Society   – calls for the re-engagement of all stakeholders, especially in Europe, in funding HIV vaccine research and development (R&D).  After more than 40 years since HIV was discovered, there have been breakthroughs in curbing acquisition through pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral therapy (ART). However,  1.5 million people  acquired HIV in 2021 – one million above the 2020 global targets  for ending the AIDS epidemic  – and a quarter of the 38.4 million people living with HIV globally do not have access to treatment. A vaccine remains the most effective prevention method and is still elusive.   Between 2019 and 2020, funding globally for HIV  preventative vaccine R&D decreased  by 5.5% or USD 46 million. In comparison, European funding decreased by 31%, significantly undermining pathways to an effective vaccine.  “We call on Europe to not abandon the quest for an effective HIV vaccine. The