Findings from the Global HIV Prevention Group

Stefano Bertozzi

Last week, the Global HIV Prevention Working Group released the first comprehensive global report card, noting encouraging momentum on HIV prevention.

 

Rewire is publishing a series of articles and opinion pieces on global AIDS and HIV in conjunction with the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, which ended this weekend.  We welcome vigorous and informed policy debates on these and other issues. This post was originally published on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation blog.

The Global HIV Prevention Working Group released the first comprehensive report card on global HIV prevention at the XVIII International AIDS Conference. The report Global HIV Prevention Progress Report Card 2010 noted encouraging momentum on HIV prevention, with countries and donors taking steps to strengthen HIV prevention programs. But it was also a bit of a reality check. It warns that global HIV prevention programs aren’t having the full impact they could.

To me, these findings are a cause for renewed determination – we know what works in HIV prevention, and when we bring effective prevention program to scale, we save lives. This is not about pointing fingers, but about opportunities for improvement.  As Helene Gayle said during today’s launch in Vienna, it’s not that prevention is failing, it’s that we are failing prevention. We need to apply the same rigorous planning, management and evaluation to HIV prevention that has been applied to HIV treatment.

  • These are the key recommendations from the report: Match prevention strategies to national needs: focus on populations at greatest risk for HIV infections
  • Rapidly scale up cost-effective HIV prevention tools: many people still don’t have access to prevention services
  • Set clear prevention targets and monitor progress: all countries should have clear plans and should receive rigorous evaluation
  • Reform laws to combat HIV discrimination: stigma and discrimination keeps people from accessing prevention services
  • Increase funding for HIV prevention: better use of existing resources is important, but additional funding is also needed

These recommendations confirm that we are at a turning point in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

As I wrote in my last blog post, global AIDS investments are working and we must accelerate this progress. We need to do a better job of choosing the most effective interventions for each setting and targeting our energy to protect those at greatest risk of infection.

The Global HIV Prevention Working Group is a panel of more than 50 leading AIDS experts from around the world, co-convened by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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