World AIDS Day: Women and Girls, HIV and AIDS

BRUSSELS (1 December 2004) – The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) joins with our global collaborators and colleagues to mark the 17th annual World AIDS Day this year with an emphasis on the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls.

“Women and girls are the new face of AIDS,” said Zeda Rosenberg, chief executive officer of IPM. “In light of new statistics on AIDS, it is imperative that the research and development of new HIV-prevention technologies for women such as microbicides continue to receive global attention and increased financial support.”

According to a report released by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIVAIDS (UNAIDS) last week, the number of women living with HIV has risen in each region of the world. The biggest rise was in East Asia (a 56 percent increase), followed by Eastern Europe and Central Asia (up by 48 percent). In the US, AIDS ranks among the top three causes of death for African-American women aged 35-44. Infection rates among young women are especially high. In Kenya, for every 20 young men with HIV, there are 45 women with the virus. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 76 percent of the young people (15-24) with HIV are girls under 20.

IPM acknowledges the farsighted support of its current donors: Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank and the UNFPA, which have provided resources support for microbicides through IPM.

“Continued funding from these current donors will be critical in supporting product development and conducting clinical trials of microbicides,” said Dr. Rosenberg.

IPM also welcomes new funding commitments made by Canada and the United States. These funding partnerships are vital in broadening the base of support and in making microbicides a reality within the next five to ten years.

IPM co-hosted a high-level gathering of several European development Ministers and members of the European parliament on 30 November to discuss the impact of HIV on women and girls and to explore new prevention technologies, such as microbicides. Norwegian Minister Hilde Johnson spoke about the importance of investing in microbicides and IPM. UK Minister Gareth Thomas discussed the critical nature of preventing HIV by investing in existing prevention tools such as condoms and new prevention technologies such as vaccines and microbicides.

IPM also announces today the establishment of IPM-Belgium to better engage European policy makers. IPM-Belgium is registered as a non-for-profit entity under Belgium laws.

The organization in Brussels will allow IPM and the microbicide community to better engage the European Commission and the European Union and increase their awareness of the need for microbicides.

Microbicides are substances that kill or immobilize HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. They could come in varying formulations such as creams or gels, and different delivery systems are being studied – topical ointments or vaginal rings that would release the drug slowly over days or weeks. Microbicides would give women a way to protect themselves from HIV, and could alter the fundamental imbalance that makes so many women vulnerable to infection. Scientists estimate that an effective microbicide could be available within 5-10 years, and that gradual introduction of newer and better microbicides could ultimately save a generation of women.


About IPM

The International Partnership for Microbicides was established in 2002 to accelerate the development and accessibility of microbicides to prevent transmission of HIV. The organization's goal is to improve the efficiency of all efforts to deliver a safe and effective microbicide as soon as possible.